


Tales from the Tea Garden: Stories from the Campus of St. Gloriana

by Rihnoswirl



Category: Girls und Panzer
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Multi, Slice of Life, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 84,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27063343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rihnoswirl/pseuds/Rihnoswirl
Summary: A series of slice of life-stories about the daily lives of the students of St. Gloriana, focusing mostly on Orange Pekoe and Rosehip. Studying for tests, going on dates, hanging with friends: all the stuff we never get to see in Girls und Panzer-proper, now brought to life. Each story stands on it own, but just like a good tv-series there is a red thread connecting them all.
Relationships: Assam/Rosehip (Girls und Panzer), Darjeeling (Girls und Panzer)/Original Male Character(s), Darjeeling/Kay (Girls und Panzer), Orange Pekoe (Girls und Panzer)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Of Tests and Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The students of St. Gloriana are preparing for mid-term exams, and jane (Orange Pekoe) struggles to get her friend Emma (Rosehip) to study. She would much rather just keep daydreaming about her unrequited love for Assam

**Of Tests and Tea**

* * *

Jane yawned and looked out through the classroom window. The bell was about to ring, and morning classes would start. The seat next to her was of course still empty. The chatter around the classroom slowly died out as her classmates began to prepare for class. The teacher would soon be here. Of course she knew this was when Emma was in her element. Looking out over the park on the other side of the road, Jane could see her sprinting towards the school gates, as usual. This was Jane's signal to get her things in order for class. She pulled out her textbooks and pens, organized them neatly on the desk, and let out a small sigh. First period was going to be math. She hated math.

The teacher slid open the door, and just as he had put down his things on the desk and turned to the blackboard, Emma came rushing through the other door and slid to a halt by her seat. The teachers never noticed her extremely punctual arrival, but Jane knew by now that you could set a clock by her, and sometimes she did. Emma looked at Jane with a smug grin, "Nailed it" written all over it. Jane just rolled her eyes and gave her a small grin as reply. After the class had greeted the teacher, Emma sat down, yanked out her beat up textbooks and notepad. She kept fumbling in her bag for a second before turning to Jane. A second later a pencil was thrown to her. Jane was used to it.

"Thanks Orange Pekoe!"

"You never change, do you Rosehip? Jane whispered back.

* * *

Lunch came around, and they both packed up their things. As usual no actual information had been noted in Rosehip's notebook, but another half-dozen doodles had been added to the ever growing collection.

"You know you're screwed on the midterms if you don't start studying right?"

"Eh, how hard can it be?" said Rosehip and shrugged. "Lunch on the roof?"

"Sure. Same deal as usual?" Both their eyes gleamed with anticipation as Jane slung her bag onto her back.

"You know it." They each moved to one of the classroom doors and slid them open. Rosehip raised her hand to signal, and as it came down, they both rushed off through the corridors. St. Gloriana's halls were old and winding. There were no less than 4 stairways leading to the roof, and scores of ways you could navigate the halls to reach it. Jane knew every twist and turn of the corridors, and Assam had given her the schedule of every teacher and class, so she knew which doors to avoid, lest her path be blocked by students or staff. She threw a hand out to catch the knob at the start of the stairs, swinging around on pure momentum, and began her climb to the roof. With a final burst of strength she threw the door open, and had just enough time to catch her breath before Rosehip appeared at the stairway across the roof.

" That´s 7 mondays in a row for me. Guess I don't need to worry about lunch this week either," Jane called out, still slightly short of breath.

"Next week... Next week I'll beat you," Rosehip shouted back. They sat down at their usual spot, leaning against an AC unit. The sun grazed them with it´s warmth, and the ocean stared back at them across the horizon. They pulled out their lunchboxes, clapped their hands, and dug in.

"I know I´ve asked this before, but seriously; Why are you always late?"

"Ah ah ah, I'm never late. Nor am I early. I arrive precisely on time," Rosehip said. "Isn't Miss Darjeeling always saying a proper lady is punctual?" A satisfied grin spread across her face. "Besides I need to sleep. How else do you think I keep up this energy?"

"You know, I don't think that's how she meant it. But what's keeping you from sleeping like a normal person? Isn't 8 hours enough for you?" Jane retorted.

"With school, my part-time job at the arcade, hanging with the automotive club, I get maybe 3 hours of sleep a night, so don´t judge me miss prissypants."

"3 HOURS?! YOU SLEEP FOR 3 HOURS A NIGHT?" Jane responded, unable to hide her schock. "How do you even function in the morning? Let alone the afternoon?"

"Beats me. I just do." Rosehip shrugged and turned her attention back to a particularly soggy eggroll. "Not to mention Sensha-Do. With the Winter cup later this year and now training with the Chindits, I don't get a lot of free time," she continued absent-mindedly. "And I just got a new wheel for my computer too. But with the UST-match last month, and everything else going on, I haven't had time to get it set up." The grin had by now turned into a sympathy-seeking pout, but Jane would give her none.

"It's your own fault you're always busy. You've got to drop something. Make some free time. You might even be able to cram in some studying." Jane smiled and while Rosehip's attention failed her, grabbed a spring roll from her lunch box.

"Hey, no fair," Rosehip exclaimed. "You don't take a shot at someone when they're down, Orange Pekoe. I demand reparations. What've you got there?" she struggled against Jane, trying to find an opening to get in with her chopsticks. Jane made sure to keep her lunchbox out of reach at all times, but this put her at a disadvantage balance-wise. Rosehip, seeing an opportunity, pounced and fell on top of her.

"And here I thought you were only this close with Assam-senpai. What would she say if she saw you like this with me?" Jane might be prim and proper with everyone else at school, but she had known Emma since they were kids. She knew just what buttons to press. Rosehip´s face turning a shade of red not dissimilar to their tank jackets let her know she had succeeded.

"That's not... we aren't... I mean..." Rosehip rolled off Jane and leaned back against the AC unit. "She's just really cute is all. And nice. And smart. And elegant. And I'm...incredibly not" She pulled her knees up and stared out across the _Ark Royal_ , pout returning to her face. "What if she doesn't even like me, and just hangs out with me because we both do Sensha-do?"

Jane got back up, and scooched up against her friend. "Still haven't confessed to her, huh? Even after that stunt she pulled before summer break?"

"There's no proof that was her. There's thousands of students here, and there was no name on those chocolates."

"Sure. I'm certain there's hundreds of girls here who would go through the trouble to make their own homemade chocolates, and then put a note on it with the exact ingredients and nutritional info." The feelings Rosehip and Assam had for each other wasn't exactly a secret, at least not for anyone who bothered to give it a second thought. It was a shame they were both so blockheaded they couldn't tell the other straight out.

The rest of the lunch break passed without much else said. Jane made the occasional remark to keep Rosehip from dwelling on her failed romance, but they were both content with just watching the sea roll by.

* * *

Jane met up with Assam and Darjeeling for afternoon tea. Perhaps her upper-classmen could think of a way to get Rosehip to study, even if it was last minute.

"Do you know of any particular subject she struggles with?" asked Darjeeling.

"She doesn't study for any of them, so I'm guessing she's equally bad at them all," Jane answered.

"She is a disgrace to Darjeeling's teachings and to this very school. Someone should reign that girl in," Assam began her usual ranting.

"Someone most certainly should," said Darjeeling calmly. "Do you know this saying: 'Change your language and you change your thoughts'?"

"It's by Albrecht, but I don't understand what that has to do with this. Do you understand what she means Assam?"

"Is there any subject YOU need assistance with my dear Pekoe?" Darjeeling continued.

"Not really... I suppose my math could be better."

"Excellent. Assam, you're free this afternoon are you not?"

"I... am," Assam said hesitantly. "Why do you ask?"

"Your results on the midterms are already guaranteed, so would you be so kind as to help Pekoe and Rosehip study in the library after school lets out?" Darjeeling took a sip from her cup. "I don't suppose you would like to join them Rukuriri?"

"Oh yes thank you very much miss Darjeeling. I would be honored by the opportunity to learn from miss Assam-senpai." Rukuriri answered flustered from the wagon where the tea set was kept.

With some semblance of a solution found, the three finished their afternoon tea and prepared to leave for their final classes. "I suppose everything goes splendidly with Charles? What was it he had described himself as after his last misstep?" Darjeeling probed, ever the one for gossip.

"He said he had been 'the most unmitigated and comprehensive ass'," Jane answered with a giggle. "But no, we are doing most splendidly thank you. I was sorry to hear about Fitzwilliam though." Pekoe knew discussing Darjeeling's ex-boyfriend might be out of line, but she had always been fascinated by their relationship. They had been dating on and off for years, and had been the school's power couple back when they attended the same middle school as Jane and Emma in Yokohama.

"Don't be. He was a scoundrel," Darjeeling answered with a fake smile. "A more prideful being cannot be found."

"Well, I'm still sorry to hear it." Jane emptied her cup, left the room, and began walking to her classroom. It's not as if everyone in both St. Gloriana and Saunders' Sensha-Do teams had seen the way Darjeeling and Kay looked at each other anyways, so perhaps it was for the best that Darjeeling and Fitzwilliam broke up. Again.

* * *

The final bell rang, Jane packed up her things, and turned to Emma. "First things first. Pencil." She just managed to catch the pencil Rosehip threw back at her before it flew out the open window behind her. "Secondly, I'm going to the library to study for midterms with Rukuriri. Assam-senpai's gonna help us out with math. Wanna come along?"

"With Assam-senpai?" Rosehip reacted with predictable glee, before trying her best to feign ignorance. "Sure." She was doing a miserable job at not sounding over-excited.

They walked over to class A's classroom, grabbed Rukuriri, and they were off to the library.

* * *

"...And so if the question is like this, you're going to want to use this formula." Assam kept up her lecture. Jane had known she was good at teaching things ever since the introductory week when she had first gotten assigned to Darjeeling's crew. Assam knew the ins and outs of every tank, every type of ammunition, and every rule in federation-level Sensha-Do, and knew just how to frame it to make it easy to remember. Sadly, even Assam's excellent teaching didn't make the math any easier. She also had the unfortunate habit of going on tangents, veering off on formulas and questions that would definitely not show up on the midterms. But Jane persevered. Having Rukuriri with them made it easier, as she was not the only one who needed Assam's help. Rosehip was a different matter.

Between the schematics for boosting her Crusader's engine with nitro, a drawing of what looked like a tank-turned-sportscar, and several other scattered ideas, the only thing Rosehip had managed to produce when Jane looked at her notebook at the end of their session was an incredibly detailed drawing of Assam. Or rather, how Assam might have been portrayed if she was the heroine in a shojo-manga. While Assam was certainly considered beautiful by many at St. Gloriana, Rosehip's portrayal made her seem like beauty incarnate, a goddess on earth. A true English rose.

"If you're just going to sit around and stare at Assam-senpai, there's no point in you coming. You do realize the midterms start tomorrow right?" Jane said to Rosehip as they packed up. Rukuriri had left with Assam for a meeting with the student council so they could talk plainly without arousing suspicion.

"I was not. I listened. Some of the time at least." Rosehip couldn't even put up her usual spirited defense.

"If you listened, it was only because you were fixated on Assam-senpai's voice. You didn't hear a word of what she actually said."

"Well excuse me. And don't you get all high and mighty with me. I remember someone pretending to be sick back in middle school because she wanted her beloved Charles to come and take care of her."

"DON'T BRING CHARLES INTO THIS!" Jane could hear the hushes echo through the library before they even sounded. She was letting Rosehip get to her. She took a second to compose herself. "If you were listening, how do you solve this then?" Jane pulled out one of the easier equations Assam had gone through and held out a pen.

"Whatever" Rosehip pushed the pen back to her. "I'm going down to the garage. They delivered our Lotus Evija this morning so we're gonna go through and tune it. Later." Rosehip rushed off, as she usually did when things became unpleasant. Jane sighed and looked at the time. She could probably get a few more hours of studying done at the dorm.

* * *

The midterms passed, and the week with them. Jane wasn't dissatisfied with her performance, but she didn't foresee her name ending up on the board listing the top performing students either. She hadn't gotten to have a real conversation with Emma since their talk in the library. It wasn't that Emma avoided her, or was rude. She'd made some polite smalltalk, but had chosen to have lunch with Vanilla and Cranberry instead of Jane. Jane had been given a lunchbox every day, as was her right for winning their monday-race, so she wasn't being ignored. Thankfully Jane had Rukuriri to lunch with throughout the week.

"It's probably because she knows she flunked the midterms, just like she flunked the last ones. You did your best to get her to study, she flunked them, and now she doesn't want to hear you telling her 'what did I tell you'," Rukuriri said between bites of her hamburger steak.

"Yeah, you're probably right..." Jane answered monotonously. Lunch was almost over and she had mostly shuffled around the contents of Rosehip's 's lunchbox.

"It's a shame too. If she's failed the tests she's banned from club activities again until she's passed a make-up test. It really hurt not having her in the 63rd tournament. Guess you'll have to do without her at training for a while."

"Yeah, you're probably..." Jane started before realizing she hadn't been listening to a word her friend said. Rukuriri put down her chopsticks, and put her hand on Jane's.

"Go talk to her for pete's sake. No good will come from either of you just moping around. Especially not since you've got The Cauldron to train for as well."

"I guess you're right." Jane sighed and stood up. "I'll go find her." Jane walked off in search of her friend, and saw a big commotion in front of the notice board. "They must've just put up the top results," she thought. But as she passed by the gathered crowd, she noticed something. The names of the top scorers. Assam was of course top of the third years with a perfect 500, Ruhuna held top place among the second years, but it was the top scorer from the first years that caught her attention. She stopped and rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing correctly. There it was clearly written on the board. Emma held the top score among the first years with 487. Jane stood and stared at the board for what felt like an eternity.

"Hey Orange Pekoe, what's up?" A hand on her shoulder took her out of her schock, and beside her stood Emma, grinning from ear to ear.

"How did you... when did you study for the..."

"Oh I didn´t," Emma interrupted. "We got this new fuel injector for the Lotus so we spent most nights working on..."

"BUT HOW?! HOW DID YOU GET 487 BY NOT STUDYING?!"

"Beats me. I just did." Emma laid her arm around Jane's shoulders and started to walk her towards the club-buildings. "I just look at the questions and figure out the answers from there. I guess we got our results individually back in middle school, and you never bothered to ask me what score I got, so this one's on you."

"But you flunked at the midterms before the summer? Where was your god-given intuition then?"

"Oh, that. I just wanted to mess with you a bit, so I flunked that one on purpose. It's surprisingly easy to get a failing grade when you know all the answers," Emma laughed.

"You are the absolute supreme worst. Did I ever tell you that?" Jane glared at Emma

"No, but I think Charles said it once or twice." Emma turned to face Jane again. "So, you two got a date planned this weekend right? The _Audacity_ pulls into Yokohama beside us tonight, so you'll have plenty of time for each other." The smug smile returned to Emma's lips before she turned and started to walk away towards the automotive club's garage. "I'll be working on the Lotus all weekend, so I'll probably miss him. Say hi to my brother for me will you? And don't do anything too weird." Emma turned, gave Jane a final smile and waved as she turned the corner.

Still somewhat in shock, Jane could do nothing but shake her head and laugh to herself.


	2. Of Dates and Decorum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane goes on a date with her boyfriend Charles

**Of Dates and Decorum**

* * *

"Would you cut it out?" Jane asked for what must have been the hundredth time. Going shopping with Rukuriri was usually good fun, but this time, circumstances were different. This time, Jane had been tricked, by her best friend nonetheless.

"I'm sorry Orange Pekoe, but do you realize how funny this is? Rosehip played you so good. If only she was this patient in Sensha-Do matches, we'd be champions in no-time." Rukuriri answered.

Rosehip, or as Jane knew her, Emma, had pretended to be falling behind in her studies for almost 6 months, just to make her believe she would fail the midterms. In actuality, Emma was apparently a savant who didn't even need to study to get the best marks of all the first years. Jane had been betrayed, and now Rukuriri had been making fun of her all throughout their shopping trip. The _Ark Royal_ had docked in Yokohama in the early Friday afternoon, a few hours before schedule. Seeing as both Jane and Rukuriri would meet their boyfriends the next day, once the _Audacity_ had pulled in to port later in the evening, they took the opportunity to find something new to wear. After a few hours in town they had both picked out a new outfit, and were heading back to St Gloriana's campus.

Jane would happily have boarded the _Audacity_ tonight to meet Charles, but St. George's were far more strict with their curfew than St. Gloriana was. So, their meeting would have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

The next day, Jane made sure to get up early to prepare. Academy ships rarely docked in the same harbor, and so it had been almost two months since she last got to see Charles in the flesh. Sure, they talked on the phone and over discord all the time, but the few times they got to meet and spend time together were precious.

At half-past two, half an hour before she was to meet Charles, Jane stood ready on the dock, looking out over the sea. She had her hair neatly tied up, burgundy glasses pushed right up to the bridge of her nose, and wore the sky-blue dress she had bought on her trip with Rukuriri the day before. Even though summer hadn't quite ended yet, she could feel the cool winds blowing in from the sea. As time passed, students from both schools came down their respective gangways and began moving towards the city, some by themselves, but most with their partners from the opposing school. To say that St. George and St. Gloriana had a special bond would be an understatement. The two ships had been commissioned and launched side by side, and were exact mirrors of the other. The students of both schools also shared in this "special bond". Whether it was because of the english inspiration for both schools, or the fact that the majority of students on both ships hailed from Yokohama, or something else, Jane couldn't say. What she did know, was that she was not the only one who hadn't seen their partner in a while. As a swooning cheer let out across the dock from the girls of St. Gloriana, Jane knew that St. George's Hikoki-Do team had arrived. The rowdy boys, used to the frantic dogfights of their schools favored sport, were far less elegant than the disciples of Darjeeling's Sensha-Do, but Rukuriri was not the only tanker from St. Gloriana to date one of St. George's pilots.

Front and center in the group was Fitzwilliam, the Ace of St. George, callsign Basil. Fitzwilliam, who had until a week ago been Darjeeling's boyfriend, even though their breaking up was not yet widely known. He stood out for a multitude of reasons. One was his slicked back raven hair, another his height compared to his compatriots, standing almost a head taller than anyone else on the team. Lastly was his clothes. At St. Gloriana and among Sensha-Do tankers in general, tank jackets were to be worn only while actively training or playing a match. To walk around with it on during regular school activities or during free-time was considered uncouth. The pilots of Hikoki-Do teams rarely held the same reserved view on the use of their flight jackets.

All but Fitzwilliam came down the gangway in their bottle green flight jackets, callsigns embroidered on their shoulders. Some of them even bought into their own popularity so much they added aviator's to their ensemble. For some reason, the girls were swooning over each and every one of them. Fitzwilliam was different. He was more reserved in his choice of clothing, if only slightly. If his companions dressed like they were a part of Top Gun, Fitzwilliam looked like he stepped right out of Grease. A black leather jacket, dark pants to match, and a white T-shirt underneath. He noticed Jane behind the crowd, and as the rest of his team went on their dates and mixers, he came over to her.

"Jane... It's been awhile," he started out. "Charles should be here any minute."

"I'm sure he has his reasons for being late. How have you been, Fitz?" Jane answered, her words sharp enough to draw blood.

"Good, good. I've... I've been good," he responded. "It was a shame about Elizabeth. I hope she is well?"

"She's splendid. If anything, your leaving her has only made her stronger." Jane had both seen and heard that Darjeeling hadn't dealt with the breakup well, but she would be damned before she gave Fitzwilliam the satisfaction of knowing. "What reasoning did you have this time?"

"You know how she is. She is far too stiff, never leaving all that elegance aside. What's a man to do when he gets nothing but a cold and polite shoulder?" Fitzwilliam shrugged his shoulders, fully believing his own story of victimhood.

"One would think that would have been apparent after your first seven times as a couple. Surely it's not good for the Ace of St. George's Hikoki-Do team to be so blind?" Jane had suffered under enough of Darjeeling's mad sprees to know Fitzwilliam was entirely wrong, and was about to push him further when she saw a familiar face on the gangway behind him.

"He's only blind when it comes to relationships. In the air he is far more perceptive," Charles shouted from the top of the gangway. He made his way down the stairs, and came walking over to them both. He was sharply dressed as he always was, even if he did style himself in a bit of an old-fashioned way. Grey trousers and a light-blue shirt were complimented by a red waistcoat, a burgundy tie, and covered with a dark blue coat, an old-fashioned wool cap covering his auburn hair, and a cane in his left hand. Charles had been limping ever since Emma accidentally ran her brother over the day she first got her moped, and the cane helped him both complete his old-school outfit, and make his walking seem a bit more natural.

"You're late." Jane playfully crossed her arms and stared at Charles for an explanation as he came walking over.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry. The club advisor wanted to go over the results from last week's tournament, and it took longer than I thought." Once he was next to them he and Fitzwilliam shared some light jabs and strange looks, the sort that could somehow pass as a conversation between boys.

"It's a good thing you're cute, you know that?" Jane shook her head and sighed, then gave him a peck on the cheek. "Shall we get going, or would you rather go on a date with your bestie here?"

"Oh no, let's! Sorry Fitz, but she's far prettier than you." He put his arm around her, and they started to move down the dock, towards town and their date. "I love the dress by the way. Newly bought?"

"Yeah, I was out with Rukuriri yesterday to get something new. How could you tell? You usually don't remember what's in my wardrobe."

"Oh, it just suited you so well that had you worn it before I would've surely remembered. That, and you forgot to remove the price tag." Charles' clever comment was predictably answered with a light jab to his side.

* * *

Following from their usual practice, their destination was yet to be determined. They both got to pick where they wanted to go for the day, and would decide from there. After a vicious game of rock-paper-scissors, it was decided that Charles would get to pick. Jane was rarely thrilled by art, but the museum of art at least was a good place for them to talk and be near one another. When they had gone to the amusement park last time for Jane's birthday, the many thrill-rides and crowds had made having earnest conversation difficult. They both had made a deal not to talk about what had been going on in their daily lives two weeks before any date, so they would have something to talk about. And so conversation drifted back and forth between them, about Darjeeling's newfound obsession with tankathlon, the formation of the chindits, whatever issues had come across Charles desk as president of St. George's student council, the results of their midterms, and much more.

"So, how was the tournament? I heard you took second place?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, but it wasn't easy, I'll tell you. Fitz kept distracting me from practice to help him adjust his flying." Charles paused to look at the Rembrandt they had stopped in front of, but continued. "The girl I faced in the finals was really good. She was an absolute nightmare to read, you never knew where her next strike would come from."

Both Sensha-Do and Hikoki-Do were almost exclusively pursued by girls and boys respectively, but Charles' chosen sport of fencing was a different world entirely. Not only did it have almost a near equal number of practitioners from both genders, the majority of the major tournaments also didn't make any division between boys and girls.

"So what you're saying is you got beat up by a girl?" Jane responded with a sly smile.

"Sure was. Chi-Ha-Tan are not to be messed with," Charles answered with a satisfied smile of his own. His self-awareness was as charming as ever. "I can't believe they don't do as well in Sensha-Do."

"Well, tanks can have that effect on people. Just look at your sister. She was always a maniac who went through life at top speed, but since she got to go in a Crusader it seems she's gone even more insane"

"I'm sure Emma's doing fine. Growing up the way we did I'm surprised she hasn't lost it completely. Has she gotten anywhere with Elinor yet? I'm sure she just needs to let off some steam"

"Nope. She and Assam-senpai are still acting as if nothings going on between them. Not that anyone believes them." Jane let out a small sigh. "The one area were just charging in would work, and she's more timid than the old guard at Maginot."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. They'll give in to their feelings when they do. Has she considered acting sick? That worked out well for you didn't it?" Charles snickered.

"You knew I was faking it? And you've let me believe otherwise for 4 years? You and Emma really are siblings." Jane made sure her exasperation was exaggerated, and played on it. "You're both hopeless."

"She may be the black sheep of the family, but we've still got our similarities. I'm done here, so you wanna start heading back to the house?"

"Sure. Is it empty?"

Yeah, our parents are at the winter home, my brothers are all overseas, Emma won't leave the _Ark Royal_ , and I asked the staff to go home for the weekend. We'll have it all to ourselves."

"We'll someone's been thinking ahead. What will poor Fitzwilliam think when he hears about this?"

"He'll do fine. Elizabeth might have left him, but he's been at a mixer for more than an hour, so he's surely got a half-dozen girls ready to mend his broken heart," Charles grinned. When he was with Jane he couldn't care less what Fitzwilliam was up to. They might be best friends, but even Charles would agree that Fitz was a moron for letting Elizabeth get away from him.

* * *

Despite having visited hundreds of times when she still lived on land, Jane was always surprised by the sheer size of Charles' and Emma's childhood home. Emma's Mile-a-minute way of acting wouldn't tell you, but her and Charles family had far more money than any family could possibly spend. Jane and Charles had long speculated that Emma's approach to life was a direct rebellion to her parents expectations of her. The house and grounds could easily fit a small festival, with a staff to match. The _Audacity_ docked in Yokohama often enough for Charles to reliably visit during weekends, and so his room was always kept in order by the household staff. Each of the families 8 children had their own massive rooms, but as Charles and Emma's older brothers had slowly moved out to pursue their own ventures, more and more of the house had been converted to fit their parents needs and interests. Charles' room however, favored child as he was, had gotten expanded, and looked more like a private study of a nobleman than the bedroom of a teenage boy. An open fireplace kept the cold that began to set in as the sun set from disturbing them, a pair of Rapiers hanging crossed above it. Most of the walls were covered floor to ceiling with bookcases, and in the corner stood an old desk Charles had inherited from his grandfather. A large couch, also an antique, stood placed before the fireplace with a finely crafted oak table in front of it.

"Every time I visit you somehow make this place look more and more like the home of a regency noble. The couch fits in well, but why would you put that there?" Jane asked and pointed to a small maple cabinet placed against the wall, equidistant from the bed and couch.

"Well, I felt the room was missing something," Charles responded as he walked over to the cabinet and lifted the top, revealing an old record player. After some quick fiddling with it, He turned back and smiled at Jane as slow jazz began pouring out of the speakers strategically placed around the room. "Care to dance?" he asked and reached out his hand as he approached.

"You are such a nerd," Jane answered and sighed. "You're lucky I like you that way." She took his hand, gave him a kiss, and they slowly danced together until the album was over and the fire needed tending to. "You really are a slave to the aesthetic aren't you," Jane said as she sat down on the couch while Charles tended to the fireplace.

"Says the girl whose tankery club insists on drinking tea, which you don't even like, always acting like they're landed gentry from the napoleonic wars, and calling each other by the names of different kinds of tea." Charles laughed as he answered. "Except for you, my dear Orange Pekoe," he continued with a poor imitation of Darjeeling's voice and mannerisms "Who is named after a grading of tea. Not even a different kind."

"And your fly-boys on St. George don't call each other strange names? I'll remember that next time I meet Basil, Humphrey, and Blackadder," Jane retorted.

"One, those are just callsigns. When they-re not barreling around in the air they keep to their actual names. And two, that's the Piloting club. The rest of us are just normal students,'' Charles answered back as he moved towards Jane, bent down over her and gave her a kiss. "And three, I fully admit this is all super-nerdy. But I like it, and that's what matters. And I distinctly remember someone claiming they like me like this just earlier tonight"

"Well, that's just because it makes you look so handsome," she giggled in response as she took his face in her hands and kissed him back. The next time the fire needed tending, neither of them would even notice. They were busy fanning a different flame. It would be another 8 weeks before their academy ships would share a dock, so sleep would be out of the question.


	3. Of Reverence and Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darjeeling tries in a panic to hide, as her old senpai Earl grey makes a surprise visit to the Ark Royal

** Of Reverence and Regret **

* * *

It was still early in the morning when Darjeeling was awoken by a loud bang from the courtyard outside. She groggily got up from her bed and looked out the window in search of the source of all the noise. Looking out over campus nothing seemed out of place, but in the distance she could see a lone Crusader driving around on the Sensha-Do teams practice grounds, firing shots with remarkable speed and accuracy. She made a mental note to discuss the matter with Rosehip at tea in the afternoon. No tankery was to take place before 10AM to ensure the students living at St. Gloriana's dorms could get some sleep.

Of course, with Rukuriri and Assam's presence on the student council, the enforcement of this rule was rather lax, but Darjeeling, having so rudely been awoken by the noise herself, was willing to give this one to the greater student body. No one should have to hear the sound of cannonfire at 6 on a saturday morning. Still, there was something off about the Crusader's movements, even if she couldn't make out exactly what from her dorm room. Something that bothered her. After a few seconds of puzzlement, she decided going back to bed wasn't worth the effort with Rosehip firing off rounds outside, so she instead headed to take a shower and get ready for the day.

* * *

Once Darjeeling had prepared herself for the upcoming day, she left her dorm room and headed towards the dining hall for breakfast. She could of course have stayed in her room for a while longer, finishing up on reading the many reports and estimates she'd requested for her upcoming tournament. But whatever had bothered her had stayed with her. There was something off today. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Assam was waiting for her at their usual meeting spot, and they continued down the halls together. It still being early on a saturday meant the halls were mostly empty, but both Darjeeling and Assam cut a striking figure in contrast to any other students they met. Most students at St. Gloriana's dorms only wore their uniforms on school days, and during evenings and weekends used more everyday clothing, but Darjeeling and Assam held strictly to the use of their uniforms while on campus. If anything it helped maintain their reputation for elegance.

"I take it you were awoken by Rosehip's impromptu training session as well?" asked Assam.

"Yes, It was quite the wake up-call. Remind me to discuss it with her at tea. Her eagerness to improve is commendable, but the students deserve some sleep."

"Why of course. I'm of half a mind to discuss it with her myself. Such inelegance must not be tolerated."

"Oh, but do you not find a certain charm in her ways Assam? Surely something about her has gotten under that calculating skin of yours?" Darjeeling replied with a grin. While neither Rosehip nor Assam had discussed it with her directly, even a blind man could pick up on the tension between the two girls.

"No-nothing of the sort. I merely keep an eye on her to save our school from embarrassment." Assam's stuttering and blushing cheeks both betrayed her. "And anyway, what's the matter with you? You seem a bit out of it today. Is Fitzwilliam trying to get you back again?"

"No, no, he's thankfully left me quite alone. Ran off with his tail between his legs. It's something else. I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong today, but I don't know what."

"Perhaps you've taken after that Mika-girl from Jatkosota" Assam joked. "I think you're just worrying for nothing. It's probably just your nerves playing a trick on you with The Cauldron coming up."

"Maybe... But still, I sense something. Something I haven't felt since..." As they rounded the corner to the dining hall, Darjeeling froze in place as she realized just what had been bothering her. After continuing a few steps, Assam turned and went back for her friend, now pale as snow.

"What's the matter Darjeeling? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

"Assam..." Darjeeling swallowed and pointed towards the dining hall's open doors as she slowly backed around the corner again "Have I gone insane, or is Rosehip and Pekoe eating breakfast with who I think they are?"

As Assam turned away from her frightened friend and looked into the dining hall, she indeed saw a laughing Rosehip chowing down platefulls of bacon and eggs, with a more restrained Orange Pekoe picking at a sausage next to her. But sitting across from them, with her back turned away from Assam and Darjeeling, was a long-haired blonde in ripped jeans and a loose fitting mint green shirt, from the looks of it unbuttoned and merely covering a t-shirt. It was most definitely not a student of St. Gloriana. Or rather, no longer a student. Assam looked back at Darjeeling and understood her horror.

"The commander..." they both whispered in unison. Earl Grey had come to visit.

* * *

Spending the day with the former commander of St. Gloriana, walking her around campus and interacting as equals was not how Jane had expected her Saturday to go, and yet, such was her lot this day. She had been awoken early in the morning by a Crusader making a ruckus on the training yard. Angered by the rude awakening, she had called Emma to complain.

"ROSEHIP!" she yelled drowsily into her phone. "You know there's not supposed to be any tankery before 10. I don't care if you were bored, turn off the goddamned tank and go back to sleep, or I swear to all that is holy..."

"What?" Emma answered groggily. "I'm still in bed. I just got back from the automotive club maybe two hours ago, and I haven't even been to the garage since the day before yesterday."

"But..." Jane was confused. It didn't help that she had just woken up. "If it's not you driving around the yard, who's driving the crusader outside?"

The two had decided to investigate, and walked down to the training yard in full tankery uniforms. When they rounded the corner to the yard they saw the _Repulse_ , one of the team's crusaders parked out in the open, the tracks leading to it forming a neatly marked celtic knot. On top of the tank sat a lone girl with long blonde hair, drinking a cup of tea as she stared out across the sea. Jane found something familiar about the girl, but couldn't figure out what. It was clear however she was not a student of St. Gloriana. She was tall, and seemed a few years older than the two first years.

"Who are you? Any student would know that tankery is not to take place before 10, and even if it was, how did you get access to the garage. You're definitely not in the Sensha-do team," Jane asked the tall girl.

"How quickly one is forgotten," the older girl replied. "You leave the team for a few months, and suddenly it's as if you never existed." She finished her tea and leapt down from the Repulse. "Seems no one bothered to change the codes to the garage since I left."

"Jane, pinch my arm will you?" Emma grabbed her tight and looked almost ready to faint.

"What are you talking about? Do you know this girl?"

"Of course I know her. She's the former commander of St. Gloriana..."

"'Gale' Earl Grey, at your service, previously of the _Thunderer_." The tall girl gave a theatrical bow. "Although I assume that name has been designated to a new officer, so you may simply call me Victoria."

Jane and Emma stood in silence and disbelief for a second, as Jane put the pieces together in her head, and Emma fawned over seeing the old commander in real life. The Sensha-Do clubs operations room had portraits of all the previous commanders in it, and as Jane looked more closely at the tall blonde, she indeed recognized her from her painting.

"Uhm..." Jane wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation, but ultimately decided to give the commander a salute. Emma followed suit. "Orange Pekoe of the _Victory_ , Loader, Vice commander to the Lady Darjeeling, and commander of the Chindits volunteer corps."

"Rosehip of the _Defiance_ , Commander, Commander of the Crusader cavalry regiment."

"At ease girls. I'm not in command of anything anymore," Earl Grey laughed. "Although you could tell me where a girl gets breakfast around here. Lunch usually ended up being the first meal of the day while I was here, and I always got mine from the convenience store."

* * *

"...And the way you just broke through Pravda's lines. It was incredible. I had never seen anything like it." Even while eating several plates of english breakfast, Emma had barely stopped talking. Jane had known something had inspired Emma to take up Sensha-do, but finding out it had been the former commander of their school was fascinating news. Emma had gone from not caring about any of the maidenly arts to holding a deep interest in Sensha-do seemingly overnight when the two had been in middle school, and now it was clear why. She had seen Earl Grey charge an encircled Pravda on TV. "That's when I knew I was going to go to St. Gloriana and follow you into battle. But once I got here, you had already graduated."

"That wasn't even my best match. I had just been promoted the day before. The Lady Sencha was hospitalized just before the tournament, and as vice commander, I was put in charge. Even after Lady Sencha recovered, she couldn't ride tanks after her time in the hospital, and so I took over command for real. Led the team through some real uphill struggles if I do say so myself."

Jane looked upon the pair with watchful interest. It was good to see Emma so fired up, and to hear her rattle off seemingly every match and accomplishment Earl Grey had managed during her tenure as commander. What worried her was why Darjeeling had never mentioned her predecessor. Whenever Jane had probed her and Assam for information, she had gotten a vague promise that they would talk about it "later", and then the subject was less than subtly exchanged for something else. The tiny glimpses into what the old commander had been like came from copious research into the teams archives, or from the few nuggets of information she managed to gather from Assam and Ruhuna. Apparently Earl Grey had been quite eccentric, and her and Darjeeling had never quite seen eye to eye. Darjeeling had even reorganized the entire team's composition and tactics after Earl Grey left, focusing more on Napoleonic "March-and-Fire" infantry tactics than the forceful charges of her predecessor.

"What's bothering you Orange Pekoe? Rather unwieldy name that wouldn't you agree by the way?" Earl Grey had moved on from her walk down memory lane with Emma and now focused on Jane.

"Oh, nothing Comman... I mean Victoria. I was just thinking about why Lady Darjeeling never speaks of you."

"Well, I suppose she has her reasons. We didn't quite get along her and I." Victoria shrugged. "I was meaning to talk to her about it, but she seems to want to avoid me."

"I'm sure the commander isn't avoiding..." Jane began as she prodded at a lone sausage left on her plate.

"If you look behind me, you will see Assam talking to someone behind a corner. Presumably, that someone is Darjeeling. As we were talking, she rounded the corner, saw me, and vanished back behind it. I think her mind's made up." Victoria sighed. "Shall we get going? I want to hear more about these Chindit's you're commanding, Orange Pekoe." She stood up and waited for her two companions before moving towards the courtyard.

The remainder of Jane's day was spent walking Victoria around her old campus, answering questions about the team, the chindits, Darjeeling's newfound love of Tankathlon, the secret tournament she was planning, and more general questions. As they walked around, Jane noticed on several occasions that Victoria decided, seemingly at random, to take strange turns, altering her speed as they walked, sometimes slowing to a crawl, sometimes going into a light sprint. As she began to take more note of their surroundings and looked for patterns in Victoria's strange behavior, she noticed that many of these turns and tempo-changs seemingly happened to coincide with Darjeeling being seen through an alley, or walking behind a bush, and they were some form of attempt to catch her in the open. After many of these antics Jane could see Darjeeling barely hiding in a bush or behind a corner, and at one point she had even managed to climb the great oak tree at the center of campus to avoid detection. Through all of this, Victoria kept up her many questions. A lot of her probing had to do with Darjeeling's treatment of Jane, how the two got along, and how Jane's outlook on the future of the team was. Once Victoria had decided she was satisfied with her quizzing, she let the two girls get on their way. at that point the sun had already begun to set.

* * *

As Darjeeling returned to her dorm room, she found her dinner neatly prepared on the table in the center. The days manic game of hide-and-seek had left her so tired she didn't even bother to turn on the lights, and instead settled for the light of the setting sun shining in through the blinds. She kicked off her shoes and walked over to the small kitchen at the far end of the room to prepare the kettle and some nice tea to let her relax. It was then that she heard the voice she had been dreading all day.

"Clink clink," Earl Grey said playfully as she shook the ice cubes in her empty glass. As Darjeeling turned around, she saw how Earl Grey had been sat hidden in the armchair next to the doorway leading to her study. Darjeeling's exhaustion and the less than ideal lighting conditions had left Earl Grey completely hidden in the dimly lit corner.

"Earl Grey," Darjeeling answered somewhat nervously. "I ought to stab you with a salad fork for being here. You can't show up unannounced, much less break into my dorm room"

"Oh, don't be like that. I was just hoping we could have a cozy little drink together. Besides, not too long ago this was my room, commander. I love what you've done with the place." Earl Grey answered with a smile. As she stepped in towards the center of the room, it became clear she had changed her clothes from when Darjeeling had seen her earlier in the day. She now sported a burgundy turtleneck, and a leather jacket over it. She had most definitely been obsessing over a movie again. "I'm actually having a meeting on Monday, with your new favorite school. As the best private investigator in this smoky little circle of sensha-do schools, good evening, ladies and gentlemen, they are ready to give me quite a lot for some information" Earl Grey continued walking back and forth on the other side of the table form Darjeeling, keeping up the same theatrical manner of monologuing Darjeeling had become quite wary of during their time together at St. Gloriana. "Good for me that, but in this case, it's bad for you. The head honcho of Ooarai has developed quite a vendetta against you and your comrades, and they're out to destroy you. Next tournament, bosh, there will be blood and feathers everywhere my darling."

"Get to it Earl Grey" Darjeeling had had enough of her games already while she was in command, and was in no mood to play around now. "I'm starting to itch"

"Now we both know that you have a very fascinating and packed schedule, especially with your pet project coming up, and I would just like to invite you to squeeze myself into it a little bit."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Darjeeling leaned back against the counter behind her, making sure to keep her skirt in check. She had fallen prey to Earl Grey's tactics enough times to keep her wits about her.

"If you would simply make some room for me in your busy schedule, say at 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, I will give you everything. Memory cards, photographs, recordings, the lot. And, a modest little screenplay I wrote about the team in my spare time."

"Hold on, we just went from you ambushing me in my room, to you asking me to willingly meet you at a place of your choosing without anyone there. That's a steep rise in thirty seconds." Darjeeling answered in disbelief.

"Yeah, but I would argue that you're lucky, 'cause that's nothing compared to what I could, and perhaps should, be asking." There was something predatory in Earl grey's voice, and Darjeeling's mind rushed back to her torturous two years as her understudy.

"Well thank the lord that you're not greedy then Earl Grey, you deluded perv." Earl Grey only grinned at Darjeeling's remark.

"I quite like it when you get angry with me..." She gave of a faint chuckle before continuing. "Come on just have a drink with me. It's really yummy, I promise. I looked it up. Oh, and while I was waiting for you, I had a look 'round your wardrobe. I didn't even know you could spend that much money on underwear." She returned to the corner where an opened bottle was placed on the table, and refilled her glass. Exactly what the bottle contained, Darjeeling didn't want to know. "Now, I'm going to tell you a story to demonstrate why I'm asking what I'm asking. Will you play a game with me Darj?"

Darjeeling simply shook her head. "I don't want to play a game."

"Please?" Earl Grey raised her glass with pleading eyes.

Darjeeling took a step forward and bent towards Earl Grey across the table and simply answered "no".

"I said play a freaking game with me Darj."

Darjeeling was too tired to deal with her former upperclassman, and it took a few seconds before the ringing screech of the kettle even registered with her. In the end, she didn't have the strength to keep up the argument. "Alright, fine" she said as she tended to the kettle and sat down for her dinner. Earl Grey's ecstatic smile told her this was going to be a long evening.

* * *

The next morning, Darjeeling awoke tired. It had taken the better part of an hour to get Earl Grey to leave the night before, and even after her old commander had left, Darjeeling's nervous anticipation of what she wanted to discuss had kept her up for another couple of hours. Nevertheless, she got up, showered, and got dressed in her uniform to meet with Earl Grey. as she looked out the window and saw the overcast skies one last time before leaving, she threw on her tank jacket, letting it hang unbuttoned over her uniform. The jacket was really only supposed to be used during club activities, but it would provide some warmth and protection from the autumn winds. Besides, it was a meeting between commanders, so technically, she was within her rights to wear it.

Darjeeling made her way down the many streets and alleyways of the _Ark Royal_ , and came to a halt in front of Earl Grey's designated meeting spot: a dark brick building in old english style, with stained glass windows and a great oak door. Above the door hung a finely cut metal sign with a smiling redcoat on top of a Cruiser Mk VII, and the words "The Laughing Cavalier". Darjeeling took another look at the instructions Earl Grey had left her last night, and sure enough, this was where she wanted them to meet. After a quick glance at her watch, Darjeeling took a deep breath, steeled herself, and pushed the old oak door open.

Inside was a pub in the english style, with a stone floor, a grand bar, wooden booths along the walls, and tables and chairs scattered across the large room. Behind the taps of the bar an old man was wiping down freshly washed glasses. He looked up from his task for a short second, nodded to Darjeeling, gestured vaguely to a booth in the corner, and returned to his work. Darjeeling nervously stepped towards the booth in question. She had spent many summer vacations in her father's homeland of England, but this was the first time she had actually been in a pub on her own. Besides the old man behind the bar and a duo of similarly aged men playing Backgammon on a table, the room was empty. But as Darjeeling approached the booth in the corner, she saw the top of Earl Grey's head and sighed to herself. Of course she would arrange to meet in a place like this. Earl Grey turned around and gestured for Darjeeling to have a seat.

"Ah, Darj, so happy you decided to come. Please, sit down." There was something different about Earl Grey today. whether she was putting up a front to keep Darjeeling's guard down, or if it was something else, she wasn't sure. But there was something caring and friendly in her voice, but not the ironic and calculating kind Darjeeling had come to expect. "This used to be my favorite place to hang out senior year. It's been ages since I've gotten to visit, so I thought this was as good a time as any."

"I'm here, so what did you want to talk about?" Darjeeling took a seat opposite Earl Grey, and observed the older girl with a scornful glare. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be pleasant. Darjeeling knew that much.

"Aw, don't be like that" Earl grey gave her a small pout, and turned towards the bar. "Takeshi, two of my usual." She gestured the number two, the man whose name was apparently Takeshi nodded, and walked through a door to what Darjeeling presumed was the kitchen. Earl Grey quickly returned to their conversation. "So, did you have fun hiding in bushes and the like yesterday?" she asked with a smile.

"It was an absolute nightmare. The nerve of you, to show up uninvited, wake me in the early hours of the morning with tank-fire, and then hunt me throughout campus like a fox. If I didn't know better, I'd say you never attended this school to begin with. Your manners betray the very name St. Gloriana." Darjeeling could feel herself losing her composure. Earl Grey returning had brought to the surface two years of anger and trauma, and she wasn't sure whether to bottle it back up or let it all out.

"I never hunted you. In fact, I didn't force your hand in any way. I simply walked around campus with your protégé. What you decided to do once you saw I was here was all your own choice." Earl Grey kept her friendly smile, as if the rage slowly building on Darjeeling's face was invisible to her.

"And what would you have me do? Simply walk up and welcome you as an old friend returned?" She could feel the walls of her emotional dam start to break.

"Why not? Is that not what we are? And on the topic of me not being elegant, you really have taken that too far. Elegance and proper etiquette is all well and good, but sometimes one needs to let loose..."

"LET LOOSE? IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL IT?" The dam was burst, and at this point Darjeeling just let the raging tempest within lead her along. "You tormented me for 2 whole years. You mocked me, toyed with me, and dressed it all up as lessons, forcing me to simply smile and say my thanks! And all because you got promoted to commander by a fluke. If Lady Sencha hadn't been hospitalized just before the tournament, you would never have been promoted, and I wouldn't have had to live with your torture! You honestly expect me to welcome you with open arms after all that?" Darjeeling could feel her face turning red with rage. Did Earl Grey honestly believe she could just come in peace?

"No, of course I didn't," Earl Grey leaned forward and took Darjeeling's hands in her own. There was a sadness in her eyes that took Darjeeling by surprise. "I thought I was only playing around, that both you and me could laugh at my "lessons" and see them for the jokes I believed them to be. But I was wrong." Darjeeling wasn't quite sure how to respond. There was a sincerity to Earl Grey's voice that had never been there before. She could feel tears starting to run down her cheeks, but whether they were of anger, pain or sadness, she wasn't sure. "After I left St. Gloriana, I started to reflect on my actions. I realized I hurt you, but you wouldn't answer my letters or my calls. Not that I blame you. I DID abuse you, I DID Torture you, I just couldn't see it at the time." Earl Grey continued, and the tears on Darjeelings face started flowing more and more.

"But why? Why did you do all those things?" Darjeeling's voice started to break, but she didn't care. "Why did you put me through all that?" At this point she was openly sobbing.

"I don't know." Earl Grey responded earnestly, as tears began running down her cheeks as well. "I was a dumb high-schooler who thought I was being funny without thinking of the people I hurt. Or even thinking I hurt them. I realize now that I was a menace to you. I realize you must have cursed my name and hated every moment you had to interact with me. I was the worst possible version of myself, and I came here to apologize. I know you probably won't accept it, and I don't see any reason why you should, but I still need you to know I am so, so incredibly sorry for what I did to you. And if you can, I wanted to ask if you would perhaps like to meet up a bit more often. I think perhaps we could become friends."

Darjeeling could barely follow her own train of thought. It jumped erratically between the many torments and tricks Earl Grey had played on her, to how she treated Orange Pekoe and forced her into joining her mad sprees, to Earl Grey's words of apology, and back. It jumped to Earl Grey's graduation, when she had been praised as a model student and Darjeeling and Assam, the only ones to know of what she had experienced stood and watched in silence. It jumped back to the command tent when Earl Grey had first been put in command, and how she had toyed with Darjeeling, leaving her no room to escape. It jumped to the late winter evening's spent having to clean the interior of Earl Grey's Crusader, and the many jokes told at Darjeeling's expense during briefings and training. It jumped to the words Earl grey had just spoken. Friends... Could she ever be friends with someone who had treated her so? She was overwhelmed with emotions. The roaring river of anger had been joined with floods of sadness, confusion, regret, and so much more. She sat silent for a long time, just staring at the table and the hands joined together. For the first time in a long while, she didn't know what to feel, or how to keep up her composure, and she didn't care. The silence between the two was broken when Earl Grey let go with one hand and reached into her pocket, from which she produced a handkerchief. Darjeeling accepted it and started to dry her tears, but her emotions were still in overflow.

"I... I don't know that I can forgive you. You were someone I looked up to, and you treated me like a toy. Something for you to play with. I don't know that I can ever forgive Earl Grey for that." Darjeeling handed the handkerchief back. Earl Grey put it back in her pocket.

"I understand completely," Earl Grey responded. "Takeshi will send me the bill, so don't worry about paying. You'll never have to see me again unless you choose to" she continued and began to get up from the table. But before she could leave, Darjeeling had grabbed her wrist.

"But I think I might be able to forgive Victoria" Darjeeling looked up with a faint smile and sniffled. "The Victoria who apologized for the actions of the Earl Grey I used to know. I think I could become friends with someone like that. I might not be able to forgive the person you were, but I think I can forgive the person you've become." Now it was Victoria's time to sob out loud. She jumped at Darjeeling and embraced her, crying more than Darjeeling had ever managed.

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU, SO, SO MUCH! AND I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO REALIZE HOW HORRIBLE I WAS" Victoria's crying had attracted the attention of the two men playing backgammon, but they seemingly chose to ignore the noise. Whether it was because they didn't care, or because they knew better than to intervene was anyone's guess. Darjeeling patted Victoria on the back until she could wrench the crying college girl of her.

They continued to talk things out for a while longer after that, but as they both calmed down and regained their composure the conversation shifted to more everyday subjects.

"You've managed to keep the team in mighty fine order" Victoria said once she had calmed herself. "I talked with some of the first years yesterday, and you certainly have them inspired."

"The first years' were easy. It was more difficult getting the second years' to accept our shift in tactics. Once you left we couldn't keep up the mad cavalry charges, so I had to change things up."

"That reminds me," Victoria answered as she reached for something underneath her jacket. "I've been meaning to give you something." She lifted the jacket and produced from underneath it a saber in a white scabbard.

"Your old cavalry saber..." Darjeeling said in disbelief. "I... I can't accept this. It's yours." Her eyes darted back and forth between the sword and Victoria.

"Do you know this saying?" Victoria smiled. "Any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed."

"Mad Jack Churchill I'm pretty sure." Darjeeling gave a low chuckle. Victoria had never been one for sayings and proverbs, but she was obviously making a conscious effort for Darjeeling's sake.

"It used to be mine, and now I'm giving it to you Elizabeth. The commander of St. Gloriana should always be properly dressed." At this point Victoria almost forced it into Darjeeling's hands.

"It may only be for the next six months, but I'll wear it proudly," Darjeeling answered. "And I'll make sure it stays with commanders yet to come."

"You should give it to that red haired girl. I like her style"

"Of course you would. Rosehip will make an excellent vice-commander one day, but I already know who this sword will go to."

"Do tell?"

"No, I'll keep it secret for now. She still has much to learn, and I probably owe her an apology like this before she's ready to take over."

"Well, I look forward to seeing it passed on. But now, it's time to eat." Victoria let her fingers drum in anticipation against the table as Takeshi came over to their table and set down a plate of fish and chips for each of them, and placed two glass tankards of golden liquid in front of them.

"What's... what's that?" Darjeeling probed, dreading the answer she knew she would get.

"Beer of course. We are in a pub after all." Victoria answered, even though the answer was obvious. "You're eighteen now for god's sake. Live a little. You'll never make it as a college student in England if you can't take a pint."

"I see your torments have merely taken a different form," Darjeeling smiled and started to dig in.


	4. Of Play and Polyhedrons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darjeeling discovers role-playing games, and drags the whole gang into playing a session of the hit game "Trenches & Tanks"

**Of Play and Polyhedrons**

* * *

The skies over the _Ark Royal_ were drowned in a glorious smattering of reds, purples, pinks and yellows as the sun set beyond the horizon. The colour of the sky did not however concern Elinor as she sat in her dimly lit room, curtains drawn to shut out the beautiful vista outside. Her attention was squarely focused on the computer in front of her, and on the many pages of data sprawled over her desk. Spread amongst the many pages and tabs was hit rates, approximate armor, command styles, average speeds, number of killing blows and many more statistics for not only the crews and tanks of St. Gloriana's current Sensha-do team, but for every school that participated in the federation league. Darjeeling was spending the week on the George Washington, the school carrier of Saunders, taking part in an inter-school conference, and so Elinor had been left alone all week to finally look over her data. The peace and quiet was a rare occurrence, so she treasured the opportunity. She meticulously input the data in software of her own design, and once it was all there, set the simulation to compile, leaned back and waited. The computer had barely moved before the door to her room flew open, and in the hall outside stood Darjeeling with a mad smile on her face and a gleam in her eye.

"ASSAM!" Darjeeling didn't even bother to be ushered in. "I have just been introduced to the most marvelous invention!"

Elinor sighed. Darjeeling was known throughout the school and the league as a calm, collected and elegant commander. Those closest to her knew this to be nothing but a mask. Whenever her curiosity was piqued, the mask would come off, and what was left would be an over-excited child.

"Good evening Darjeeling, please, come in. How was the conference?" Elinor answered with the only hint of sarcasm she could muster.

"Oh, it all went very well, but nevermind that now. As we walked around Saunders' campus I spotted some of the students taking part in some sort of game involving dice and a strange kind of screen!" The excitement in Darjeeling's voice did not diminish, nor did the wild fascination with her own tale. "As I inquired as to what they were doing, they explained that they were playing a role playing game! Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

"I have heard of them, but I'm not very knowledgeable in the matter," Elinor answered absentmindedly as she refocused her attention to the computer screen. "Although Nilgiri might know something. She is president of the tabletop club after all," A tired smile spread across Elinor's face as she heard Darjeeling leave the room with at least as much energy as she had entered. She would have to apologize to Nilgiri in the morning for putting her in Darjeeling's crosshairs. After a few minutes had passed, the door once again flew open as Darjeeling stormed in.

"You'll have to show me where Nilgiri's room is," Darjeeling said matter-of-factly, grabbed Elinor by the hand, and rushed back into the halls with her friend dragging behind.

* * *

There was nothing like the smell of glue, plastic shavings, and fresh paint on a beautiful evening like this. At least not to Akari. She pushed her chair back from her desk-turned-workstation, took a walk around her room to stretch her legs, and elatedly looked down at her latest build. A Swedish Strv 103C in 1/100th scale, complete with camouflage. The newly finished model would be the crown jewel of her forces for next week's game of Assault Inferno. She picked up her brushes and took them over to the small kitchen in the corner of the room to clean them out. Once she was satisfied they were clean, she returned to her chair to admire her work. She reached for the cup of tea beside her to complete her perfect evening. She did not realize her mistake until it was too late however. "Blech," she exclaimed as she spat the contents back out.

Once again she had not in fact reached for the cup of tea, but the cup she had been using to clear off excess paint. "I really need to mark these better," she mumbled to herself, and set the cup down again, well out of reach this time. As she finally picked up the right cup, looking forward to some real tea and relaxation, she was instead interrupted by a knock at the door. Akari had barely had time to turn around in her chair before the door was opened and an excited commander Darjeeling came bursting in, dragging a less than excited vice commander Assam behind her.

"Nilgiri! Are you knowledgeable of so-called role playing games?" Darjeeling asked with ecstatic fascination in her eyes.

"Nilgiri, I'm really sorry for all this," Assam followed up from behind Darjeeling, her wrist still held firmly by the commander.

"I suppose?" Akari answered surprised and walked over to her bookshelf. "I haven't gotten to play much since coming here, considering the tabletop club mostly focuses on miniature games, but I have a pretty decent collection if I do say so myself," She ran her finger across one of the shelves, inspecting the many books lined on it. "How come you ask?"

"The commander saw some students playing at Saunders and is now fascinated by the idea..." Assam began to explain.

"And Assam mentioned you would be the best person to ask. How does one play this 'role playing game'?" Darjeeling interrupted and continued.

"Well, it all depends on what system you use. But in general it's usually played by a group of players who take on the role of heroes in the world, and a so-called game master who acts as storyteller, referee and acts out the opponents. It's a really fascinating idea that came about back in the 70s when..." Akari stopped herself and adjusted her glasses. She could feel her cheeks start to redden in embarrassment. Of course the commander wasn't actually interested in all this. She was only playing a joke on her subordinates by acting so carefree. "But uhm... Yeah. That's the general idea," then came the words Akari had never expected to hear.

"So when could we play? I'm sure Rosehip and Orange Pekoe would be delighted for the opportunity, and Assam is always up for new experiences. Right?" Darjeeling turned to face the vice commander for the first time since entering the room.

"Sure. Why not?" Assam sighed and shrugged. If this was all a joke from Lady Darjeeling, it was a well-acted one. Assam's surrendered expression looked incredibly real.

"I...um...I guess I could prepare a game for next week. How is Friday after classes are done? I'll make sure to book the tabletop club's room so we're not disturbed"

"Excellent," Lady Darjeeling's smile somehow grew wider and more radiant. "I'll inform the others," she turned and began to leave the room.

"Wait. If we're going to play, you will all need to create characters. It takes some time so it's preferable to do before the actual play session, although I suppose I do have some prefabs laying around..."

"Then we will of course take part in the full experience! Won't we Assam?" Assam didn't even respond to the commander's question, but simply gave a tired nod.

"Then you'll need these," Akari said, and pulled out four books from the shelf. "And some dice, hang on a second," she said as she handed the books to Assam, and began to rummage in a desk drawer for spare dice. Assam wrenched her wrist free from Darjeeling's grip to hold the books, and gave them a closer look as she waited. Each was an identical copy of the rest. Upon the front was printed the words Trenches & Tanks in large letters covered with decorative bullet holes and barbed wire. Below that was a grand illustration of two soldiers in great war uniform standing in a muddy trench, bullets and artillery fire whizzing by in the background. One British, one Italian. "That's the 'Soldier's Handbook'," Nilgiri said as she kept rummaging in the drawer. One after one she had started to pull up a multitude of polyhedrons in different styles and colors. Once she seemed satisfied with her findings, she pulled out a small cloth bag and poured the dice in. "It's a bit of work creating your first character, and I would love to help, but the tabletop club's got a tourney this week so I can't. But you're all clever; I'm sure it won't be an issue. Each of you should take one book and one set of dice. The rest should be clear from there"

"Why our most gracious thanks, Nilgiri," Darjeeling said with a tone much more akin to how she usually spoke. "We'll see you next Friday then." With a wave of her hand she was gone.

"Once again, I apologize for all of this," Assam said and turned to leave, making sure to close the door with care. Akari stared at the closed door for a few seconds as she internalized what had just happened. She pulled out the briefcase containing her army for next week's tournament, carefully placed the Strv 103 in it's designated spot, and put the case back against the wall. She walked back over to the bookcase, pulled out a number of books and binders, and sat back down at her desk. If Lady Darjeeling was going to play TnT, she would have to make sure the experience was perfect.

* * *

The following week quickly turned into a blur for Akari. She spent the evening and night following Darjeeling's intrusion reading up on the 4th edition rules she had given her comrades, and laying out a basic idea for the adventure. She awoke the next morning still tired and headed off to class. Less than 4 hours of sleep usually had that effect on her. This would become a common occurrence for the following days. Lunch breaks and the time between classes were spent huddled over graph paper and notebooks, her afternoons were taken up by the tabletop clubs tournament in Assault Inferno (which she won), and her evenings were once again spent flipping through supplements and reference books.

The only thing keeping her going through all this was her excitement at getting to bust out Trenches & Tanks again, and the nostalgic memories of the long evenings she spent in middle school doing much the same with her friends. As Thursday evening came upon her, she could finally lean back and relax. She went to sleep early that night, and almost ended up oversleeping the next day. She was done, and game day was upon her.

* * *

Jane hadn't exactly been surprised when Darjeeling contacted her and Emma about the plans she had made with Nilgiri. These kinds of explorations of the "lesser" things in life had been a-dime-a-dozen ever since Jane was promoted to vice commander. She was more surprised by the actual subject matter than the fact that they were expected to participate. She had never played TnT herself, although she had witnessed some of the social outcasts at her middle school, and she had never seen Darjeeling take any interest in them while they shared the same school. Neither had games ever struck her as something that would capture Darjeeling's attention. Both Emma and herself played a moderate amount of games, although that was mainly on their computers or consoles, although Charles had taught her some Chess and Go. But alas, Friday was here, and she did not intend to disappoint neither the commander nor Nilgiri. Nilgiri's position in the hierarchy of St. Glorianaplaced her outside the limited circle who were aware of Darjeeling's... eccentricities.

Jane had found out the hard way. Promoted to vice commander after merely a month on the team, she had been dragged away by Darjeeling on a number of occasions to take part in her latest flight of fancy. Assam had known Darjeeling for years and was equally aware. Emma had in her attempts to observe and imitate Darjeeling found out too much, leaving Rukuriri as the only one in St. Gloriana's senior staff who didn't know about it. Both to keep Darjeeling's carefree ways a secret, and to ensure Nilgiri's spirits were kept high, she had made sure to study the guide Assam had given her thoroughly. She had triple checked every decision she made while creating her character, and also taken some of her spare time to concoct a suitably detailed backstory. If she was to be dropped into unknown territory, she made sure to bring every weapon in her arsenal.

* * *

Assam and Darjeeling were already waiting for them by the door to the tabletop club's designated room when Jane and Emma arrived. Jane expected the room to be one of the smaller classrooms or offices the school no longer used, but as they pushed open the door, the reality turned out to be quite different.

"Welcome," said Nilgiri as they walked in. "I apologize for the mess. I was going to come here early to clean up, but the teacher needed someone to return some books to the library." Jane wasn't quite sure what Nilgiri meant by mess. The room had to be at least 1000 square feet, every inch of it well lit by warm light. Throughout the room stood great tables covered in dioramic scenery of incredible detail, some seemingly still mid-session and covered in miniatures. The walls were lined with meticulously framed posters and more shelves than the campus bookstore, every one of them filled with boxes labeled with excessive detail. Nilgiri motioned to a table in the corner, the only one without scenery covering its wooden tabletop. Four chairs with padded seats lined the rectangular table, and at one end Nilgiri had clearly set up her command station. A screen with a panoramic illustration of the battle of the Isonzo hid most of her tools from view, but besides and behind it Jane could spot a small square table with drawers, not unlike the ones that stood beside the beds of the St. Gloriana dorms, and towering piles of books.

They each took a seat along the sides of the table, and Nilgiri joined them shortly with tea for them all. She sat down behind her screen, and with the click of a small remote all the lights in the room except the one above their table dimmed to the point that they were almost unnoticeable. It was clear that Nilgiri was in her element.

"So, since none of you called me in a panic during lunch, I'll assume everyone managed to create their characters without too much issue." A murmur and nodding of general agreement made its way around the table as everyone pulled out the pencils, pieces of paper and dice they would be using. Nilgiri did not leave much room for questions as she launched directly into a grand speech. Another click on the remote let some low yet dramatic music sound throughout the room.

"The year is 1917 and our story finds us in the small belgian town of Amerois. The snow and mud still lie wet on the ground as spring and life begins their return to the western front. Night has begun to fall together with a heavy rain. The only thing piercing the sound of constant rainfall is the distant guns, firing without end. On the outskirts of Amerois, looking out over the fields and crossroads leading towards town, sit a small tavern. Within sit soldiers of the Imperial German army, more than happy to spend their pay, and villagers of the occupied town, more than happy to take it off them through either gambling or other services. A great fire roars in the fireplace, and surrounding it sit the few officers of lower rank that frequent the tavern. The fire wavers somewhat as the door to the tavern flies open, and a man in simple clothes, drenched from the rain outside, enters," Nilgiri gave a look to Jane. She had been given some information by the older girl beforehand, and clearly this was the signal.

"Sergeant John Harper closes the door behind him, and walks over to the bar," Jane started out. She had never considered herself a storyteller, but it was something about the atmosphere Nilgiri managed to conjure up that made it easy to act along. "He gives the designated signal by knocking on the side of the bar."

"Noone in the tavern seems to give you any notice. Neither do you see any of your comrades, although the barkeep gives a knowing nod to an empty table in the corner."

"He walks over and seats himself at the table, throwing his soaked raincoat over one of the chairs."

"Ok. A quarter of an hour passes. After that, the door once again opens, and you recognize Private Patrick Bush and Lieutenant Stephen Granby, both in civilian clothes."

"I take a look around the room, see Harper in the corner and walk over to him," Darjeeling said calmly. Assam followed suit.

"Bush follows Lieutenant Granby over to the table. Once there, we both sit down and try our best not to attract attention" Her words were short and deliberate, but all three of them seemed to be getting in the spirit of things. The only one who seemed to be uninterested was Emma, who was just looking at her phone.

"Very well then. You all sit down and try to blend in. Would each of you roll for charisma as you try to blend into the crowd?" Nilgiri obviously knew the system well, and gave a quick pointer to Darjeeling who had forgotten where the information she needed was found on her character sheet. "So, how did you all do?"

"I got a seventeen," Jane answered.

"Nineteen here," Assam followed.

"And Darjeeling? How did you do?" Nilgiri asked as they all looked at Darjeeling who stared at the die in front of her. "Darjeeling?"

"Uhm... a four?" Darjeeling asked nervously. Nilgiri noted something down behind her screen and rolled a die in secret.

"Bush and Harper both manage not to draw any attention to your table. Granby however trips on one of the steps leading to it, and some of the patrons turn to look. Noone seems to mind you terribly yet however." Jane did her best to stifle a laugh.

"Harper tries to look around the tavern to make sure no one's paying attention to us," Jane said and rolled. "Twenty-one?"

"None of the soldiers or villagers seems to pay you any mind, but in the corner opposite yours sits a lone German officer who keeps his eyes fixed on your party."

"Does Bush notice him?" Assam asked.

"Roll perception"

"A twelve?"

"Bush is still looking at Granby trying to take his seat and does not notice the officer."

"Then Bush will order drinks for the table. He gets the attention of one of the servers and raises his hand to order three drinks."

"I put a hand on Bush's shoulder to stop him and instead signal for four drinks," Emma butted in, for the first time adding to the scene.

"Wait, you're not even at the table, not to mention in the room!" Assam said accusingly. "You can't just butt in whenever you want, take this seriously."

"I am taking it seriously. I've been texting with Nilgiri all throughout your talking, and Captain Maturin entered the room five minutes ago, and made his way over to you without attracting any attention." Emma gave Assam a smug smile. "And try to keep things in-character will you. I'm trying to enjoy a story here." Assam looked to Nilgiri, and the brunette gave a small nod for confirmation. Seeing Assam's objections defeated, Emma returned the conversation to the game with surprising ease. "I bend down to talk with my comrades. I say: Well, chaps, Now that we're all here, we just need to wait for the go ahead. I also turn to Bush and say: And if you try to signal for three drinks like you were about to, every single German in the room will realize we're not on their side. Then I take a seat in the last chair."

"After a few minutes, a server comes over with 4 tankards of beer and a napkin on a tray. She sets it down on your table, taps Harper on the shoulder twice, and leaves," Nilgiri continued on as if nothing had happened. "As you each grab a tankard, you see there is faint writing on the napkin."

"I grab the napkin, fake using it to dry off my moustache, and look at the writing," Emma said and rolled a die. "And with a twenty-four for deception, I guess no one notices?"

"You would be correct," Nilgiri responded. "The note reads: Your safehouse is located in a cellar three blocks away. The key will let you inside. As you look for the supposed key, you see it's taped to the bottom of Granby's tankard."

"I fold the napkin up and put it in my breast pocket. I then take a drink from my tankard. Whenever both mine and Granby's tankards are on the table, I 'accidentally' switch them, and start to drink from his."

"So, what's the deal Captain?" Jane asked in a hushed voice.

"For now William, we drink. Then, we have work to do." Emma answered and looked to Nilgiri. "And with a twenty-two dexterity-roll, I swipe the key from the bottom of my tankard when no one's' looking."

"As you drink Harper, you see the officer in the corner lose interest in you. After a while, he gets up and joins his fellow officers by the fire."

"Once we finish our drinks, I put down payment on the table, and we start to leave," Darjeeling responded.

"As you leave the tavern and walk out into the dark and rainy night again, you make your way to your destination. The German guards are patrolling the streets by now, stopping some passersby. Would everyone roll for stealth, 15 is the number to beat."

"Harper's fine."

"So is Bush."

"I... uhm..." said Darjeeling and looked down at the six staring her in the face.

"Granby takes a tumble in the mud, and a German starts to make his way over towards you"

"I walk over to Granby and say to the soldier in German: 'He's just had a bit too much to drink, I'll make sure he doesn't cause trouble on his way home', and with a twenty-seven I'll reduce my roll by ten to aid Granby, letting him pass with a combined 16," Emma said with a triumphant tone.

"The soldier gives you a small nod, and keeps walking as you continue on your way," Nilgiri said and gave Emma an impressed nod. "Once at the cellar door, you use the key to get in, and walk down into the cellar. A switch by the door lights a single light in the middle of the room. Within, you see some racks of wine bottles, and a single table in the middle of the room. On a coat rack in the far corner hang four stolen German uniforms, and spread out on the table lie pistols, rifles, grenades, and the rest of your gear. In a crate underneath the table you see a helping of different explosives, and below all the weapons and gear you also find a map of the German headquarters at Amerois, and a sealed envelope."

* * *

After having refilled their teacups, they all launched right back into the story. Jane was thoroughly impressed by Nilgiri's ability to tell a story and captivate her audience as well as she had. During their break she even rolled out an actual map of the town on the table for them to inspect.

"I tell Granby to watch the entrance, and open the envelope," Emma said with confidence. Darjeeling gave a nod of agreement, and Nilgiri handed an actual envelope to Emma, who opened it and began to read. "Alright everyone. We've got reports saying the Hun's planning to launch a major offensive in the coming weeks, and apparently they've brought a new toy to help them break through towards Paris. Our mission is to infiltrate their headquarters, get a hold of the plans for the offensive, and if possible destroy the weapons before retreating back to the allied lines. Any questions?" Emma looked back up from the envelope.

"Permission to speak, Captain?" Assam said with a less than enthusiastic voice.

"Permission granted Private," Emma responded.

"It looks like the German headquarters and garrison are concentrated here," Assam continued and pointed to the square in the center of the village, and the town hall in front of it. "I suggest that I take up a sniper position in the clock tower of the church," she pointed to the church a block or two away, "while Sergeant Harper and Lieutenant Granby join you in infiltrating their headquarters. If things turn ugly, I should be able to provide ample support and distract the Germans long enough for you to get the plans and get out."

They continued their planning session for almost half an hour, not breaking character once. Nilgiri didn't even prompt them, but instead just leaned back with a satisfied look on her face, taking down the occasional note. In the end it was decided that Bush would provide support from the clocktower, as Harper set explosive charges on the weapons that were supposed to be in the courtyard, while Granby and Maturin infiltrated town hall for the plans.

* * *

Once they were done planning, Nilgiri got up from her chair and opened one of the drawers beside her. From it she pulled out some sort of large suction cups, one for each hand, and walked around to Jane and Emma's side of the table. She bent over the table and attached the suction cups, letting her lift off a piece of the tabletop, revealing a compartment beneath. Below the table's surface all throughout the night, had been a detailed miniature version of Amerois town center. Buildings, streetlights, even the cobblestones, it was all there. having put the large board to the side, Nilgiri reached back down and reattached the clock tower to the church, and suddenly everything became much more real. All four of them looked at each other with suspense. Nilgiri was not pulling any punches. The roofs and floors of the buildings were even removable, allowing her to show off the interior of any building they wished to enter.

"Now I understand where all their budget keeps going," Assam whispered to Darjeeling.

"So," Nilgiri continued without noticing Assam's quip. "Bush makes his way to the church without incident, while Harper, Maturin and Granby move to a street corner not far from the town square. Looking towards the plaza, you see four what look like pillboxes, and a few German guards." She reached over her screen and placed small figurines representing both the characters and the Germans, as well as 4 models of A7V tanks.

"Hang on," Jane said. "Those are A7Vs, and this is supposed to be 1917. Those have barely been ordered yet, not to mention being able to appear on the battlefield."

"Yes, but you are forgetting three important details," Nilgiri answered and started counting. "One; your characters have never seen these things before. While you guys may know what they are, they don't. Two; your mission briefing did say the Germans had some new form of weapon nearby. And three; this is a story. It's all make-believe, and I decided it would be more fun to give you guys a challenge than just throw endless infantry at you should things hit the fan." She crossed her arms and looked at Jane. "Any objections?" Jane shook her head.

"Bush starts to take aim and eliminate the guards, using the guns in the distance to mask the noise.," Assam said and leaned back.

"Alright, roll to hit."

"Do I need more than a 32?"

"No... Why do you ask?" Nilgiri answered with a confused look.

"Because 32 is the minimum I can roll."

"You can't possibly have a hit bonus of more than 31!?" Nilgiri looked at Assam's character sheet once she gave it.

"'Crack shot' gives me a +5, 'Sharpshooter' another +3, 'Long Range Expert' gives me an additional +5 when firing from a distance, and then..." Assam continued listing traits, skills and feats and made it clear she knew exactly what she was doing. After a while Nilgiri stopped inspecting the character sheet and just looked at Assam in disbelief.

"Is there a single bonus to rifles you haven't picked?"

"There was one that improved my close range shooting, but I skipped that one. If Bush has to fight at close range, I've already messed up. Oh, and with 'One with nature' I don't have to roll to mask my shots in bad weather."

"I should have known you of all people would find a way to break the system," Nilgiri sighed as she handed the character sheet back. "Goddamned power gamer," she mumbled to herself, but continued narrating. They all managed to do their jobs expertly, and got a hold of the plans. They would have gotten away with it all, had Darjeeling not rolled an unfortunate one as Maturin and Granby were leaving the building, setting off the alarm and making them all the target of an entire German garrison.

* * *

Their session went on well into the night, and as they all got ready to leave, Akari was surprised to hear the girls ask when they could play again. They all made plans for another session, and went their separate ways towards their dorm rooms.

"You only made Maturin act that way to annoy Assam-senpai didn't you?" Jane asked Emma as they walked.

"In part. She always keeps telling me I should act refined and elegant, so I thought I'd give her what she wishes for." Emma rarely showed her mischievous side, but when she did, she did so at her fullest.

"Well, after a monkey's paw-wish like that, I think you're in the clear for a while. She might even beg you to act like yourself for once."

"Then it's all according to plan."


	5. Of Conflict and Convenience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the height of spring, and Emma and Jane are just about to start their first day at St. Gloriana. A crush quickly develops, and there is discord in the Sensha-Do team.

**Of Conflict and Convenience**

* * *

**The height of spring, several months ago**

"Emma, If you're not up within the next five minutes I'll come in there and get you myself." Charles' muffled voice came from the other side of the door together with several knocks. Emma just groaned and covered her head more tightly with the pillow in a vain attempt to block out both sound and sunlight. She did not get along with the concept of an early morning. Or a late morning for that matter. A few minutes later her covers were very rudely yanked away, and something started to poke her in the ribs. "I did warn you." Charles had delivered on his threat, and was now repeatedly poking her in the side with his cane.

"Fiiiiine…" Emma answered from underneath her pillow. "You win," and slowly sat herself up on her bed. She groggily rubbed her eyes before continuing. "Now get out. What time is it even?" She half-heartedly pushed Charles towards the door with her foot.

"It's 10:30. And unless you don't get ready, I'll drag you to the docks as you are." Charles turned and left the room. Emma yawned deeply and stretched her arms. She considered for a second if she could get away with returning to bed, but ultimately she had to get up. She put on her slippers and robe over her wrinkled pajamas, and slowly made her way towards the bathroom. She could hear Charles talking to someone in the kitchen, but she was not in the mood to care. She needed a shower.

* * *

After she had showered and brushed her teeth, she returned to her room to get dressed. She changed into some fresh underwear before grabbing an old T-shirt from the floor and giving it a quick sniff. She didn't think it smelled too offensive, so it would do. She then threw on her sweater and jeans-shorts, and made her way towards the kitchen. From the smell of it, there would be breakfast. As she got closer and finally rounded the corner, she could hear who Charles had been talking to.

"...and so the puzzle is finding out who did what, and I like puzzles." Jane was sitting by the table with some dishes from her breakfast and an empty coffee cup sitting beside her. She had her eyes fixed on Charles, who was leaning against the counter drinking a cup of coffee. As Emma entered the kitchen, her attention instead turned to her best friend. "Hi Emma. Good morning," she said with a smile. Jane had always been an early riser, and this was not the first morning she had come by to pick Emma up, only to wait in the kitchen with Charles.

"Morning," Emma mumbled in reply.

"No you don't," Charles answered Jane calmly and looked Emma over with a look that said "Really? That's what you're wearing?" as he took another sip of his coffee. Emma just gave her brother an exaggerated sigh as reply.

"I love puzzles" Jane retorted with slight annoyance and turned back.

"You literally talk back to the newspaper's crossword puzzle."

"The thing about the crossword puzzle is that they often put the wrong amount of boxes to house the correct word." Emma didn't care much for either crosswords or the conversation at large, and moved towards the fridge to prepare herself some breakfast. Halfway there she was stopped by Charles who blocked her way with the cane.

"Oh no you don't. We need to get going. The ships set sail at 13, we still aren't at the docks, and let me tell you; they do not appreciate people running down the gangway at the last minute." He nodded to the clock reading 11:17, and motioned towards the door.

"But I need breakfast," Emma complained and wracked her brain for a worthwhile argument. "Besides, It's the most important meal of the day, and should never be skipped," she said with a triumphant note.

"I imagined you'd say something like that." Charles turned to pick up something from the counter behind him. "So here. You can eat on the way," and handed her a single piece of cold toast with marmalade on, while Jane did her best to stifle a laugh. Emma just glared at the two as she took a bite, and turned to leave. She knew when she was beaten.

* * *

As they left the grand house behind and began walking towards Yokohama's docks, Emma slowly began to regain full consciousness in the spring breeze. She might even have been cheerful if she hadn't been forced to share the walk together with Charles. Her brother spent the walk equally between acting all lovey-dovey with Jane, and dropping subtle hints that he did not trust his sister to live on her own, even if it was in a dorm.

"...and for god's sake, set an alarm in the morning. If you become a delinquent and get expelled, I'm not going to defend your case to Mom and Dad again."

"They're half a world away Charles. It's not like they're going to notice or care. Besides, in their eyes I'm already a delinquent," Emma responded with some irritation. "And despite your lack of faith in me, I do have an understanding of how a school works."

"Maybe so, but you'd be surprised how quickly things can go sideways in high school. Especially when you run into people that know you since before."

"Well, that won't be much of an issue. Almost everyone from our middle school went to West Kureoji Grona, so the odds of us running into people is low," Jane butted in. "Emma's pretty much the only one who can afford this, and I only got in on a scholarship."

* * *

The conversation continued for another twenty minutes or so until they reached Yokohama's docks, and Charles changed his tone.

"There they are. The _Ark Royal_ , and the _Audacity_. Two of the finest school carriers in Japan." He turned to face the two with a dramatic turn, surely with an imaginary fanfare in his ears. In port lay two gargantuan school carriers side by side, each a perfect mirror of the other. On the left lay the _Audacity_ , home of St. George's School for Boys, easily spotted with the Hikoki-Do team's training session raging in the skies above it, and on the right; the _Ark Royal_. The home of St. Gloriana's Girls College, and for the next three years, Emma and Jane. It would have been an awe-inspiring scene to be sure, had they both not seen it several times over the last year whenever Jane had met up with Charles when the _Audacity_ made port.

"Yeah, we know Charles. It just doesn't hold the same magic when you've seen it a dozen times." Emma put her hands in her pockets and looked at her brother. "And besides, it's not like we're emigrating to America or something. We'll be back in port by next Friday."

"Well excuse me for trying to add a sense of wonder to your world Sis," Charles responded. "Have you got your passport and acceptance papers?"

"Wait, hang on, let me check," Emma answered sarcastically and started fumbling around in her bag in an exaggerated manner. "Would you look at that, they're all there, just like they were before we left the house, and last night, and the half-dozen other times you've nagged on me about it." Jane was more amiable in her answer.

"I've got mine right here," she said as she pulled out a blue plastic folder.

"Good to hear. It'd be a shame if they left you behind after all the work you put into getting in." By this point they were nearly at the gangway, and Charles gave Jane a long kiss goodbye. Emma just rolled her eyes, but while her defenses were lowered, Charles reached out and ruffled her hair.

"HEY! Keep your paws off me!"

"You haven't gotten a haircut in months. I don't think anyone's going to notice a few extra ruffles," he said with a smug smile before reaching in to hug his sister and give her a pat on the back. "Take care Emma. You'll do fine."

"Yeah, you too Charles." Emma sighed and returned the gesture. The two might spend most of their time arguing, but behind all the insults and discord you could always find real affection. Emma quickly dried a lone tear with her sleeve, hoping to god that Charles didn't see, and they went their separate ways, moving to the gangways of their respective ships, where Emma turned around as her brother called out with a grin.

"And don't you go crippling any of your classmates with your antics! It's bad enough you got me!" Emma just rolled her eyes and waved.

"He's never going to let me off the hook for that is he?" She asked Jane.

"Probably not. You did run him over."

"It was an accident!" Emma exclaimed. "Besides, it's his fault he didn't get out of the way in time."

As they reached the desk at the bottom of the gangway, they handed over their passports and acceptance letters, and waited for the girls behind the desk to find their names and hand them their student IDs and the keys to their dorm rooms. "Welcome to St. Gloriana Girls College. Enjoy your time here!"

* * *

The two made their way through the bowels of the ship and pushed open the door to the upper deck. Temporarily blinded by the sudden sunlight, they soon got their first taste of their life for the coming three years. Walking up the stairs they found themselves coming up out of what was made to look like an entrance to the London underground, and before them was the _Ark Royal_ , a part of Yokohama brimming with life neither of them had ever seen. All around them people were going about their day, looking through shop windows or sitting down at cafés. Cross-referencing the street signs and the map in their student handbooks, they soon made their way to Queen Mary's park; the centerpoint of St. Gloriana's campus. On one side of the park lay the grandiose school buildings of St. Gloriana, and on the other her dorms, to which they made their way as they passed numerous students in the academy's traditional blue uniforms.

* * *

They navigated the twisting corridors and stairways of the dorms up to the third floor in search of their rooms. As they paused in one of the hallways in an attempt to orientate themselves, a trio of older girls in red jackets passed them by. As they passed, Emma felt for a second a strange pressure in her hair, and as she reached back to the spot it had appeared, the source became clear. One of the girls had decided her hair was a suitable location to leave her chewed up gum.

"HEY!" Emma turned and called out in anger. "You're going to apologize for that, or else!"

"Or else what? Do you nosy freshmen even know who you're dealing with?" One of the trio, a tall girl with glasses and blue-dyed hair pulled back in a ponytail answered with a cocky smile. She was clearly the leader of the group.

"Yeah, don't you know who you're messing with?" Her two compatriots cackled behind her. It was obvious to Emma they were not going to do much else than back up their friend.

"I don't care if you're the reincarnation of 'Gale' Earl Grey herself, you'll apologize to me or I'll knock out those perfect teeth of yours one by one!" Emma took a step forward and grabbed the blue-haired girl by the scruff of her neck and pulled back for a punch. As she had predicted, the two cronies backed away in a panic and did nothing to stop her.

"Do it then, you unruly simpleton. We're still not too far from land. I'm sure they can send peasants like you back in a lifeboat." Seeing the smug grin on the older girl's face, she was about to deliver the first blow, but was stopped by Jane.

"Just let it go Emma. It's not worth getting in trouble over before our first day even begins." Jane looked at Emma with the kind of concern only lifelong friends could share. Emma sighed and lowered her fist. Before letting go of the older girl however, she did pull a fake punch, just to get the satisfaction to see her flinch. They both turned to leave, doing their best to ignore the heckling from their upperclassmen.

"That's right. Run and hide you losers! You don't even belong on this floor, not to mention this school." Emma could feel her anger flare up again, but Jane grabbed her by the wrist and let her take a deep breath to calm herself as they rounded the corner. It was a big school, and with any luck, they wouldn't meet again. Jane pointed to a paragraph in the student handbook as they walked down the stairs.

"So apparently first years all have their accommodations on the second floor. Your room's at the end of that corridor," she pointed down one of the hallways. "But come with me to my room. I'll help you get that gum out." After a half hour of fruitless work, they both decided it would just be easier to give Emma a full haircut instead. Emma had never cared a great deal about how her hair looked or what haircut she had. Letting her hair grow long looked somewhat stylish, and made the issue of choosing a haircut a non-decision, which was her main two reasons for keeping it that way. Still, there was a part of her that was sad to see her pinkish locks get cut down to just above her shoulders.

* * *

Emma was spent as they sat down for lunch in the school cafeteria the following day. The morning had been an endless trial in looking attentive as they were led from the inauguration ceremony, to their designated classrooms, to the guided tour of the school, and countless other mandatory activities. "If I never hear that tune again it will be too soon." she complained to Jane.

"Well, I think you'll be disappointed then. 'The British Grenadiers' is the school anthem after all." Jane just shrugged, even though she agreed the school band may have been given a few too many opportunities to show off. A short-lived silence fell over their table as they both dug into their lunch.

"So," Emma said between bites. "What are you gonna do for extra-curriculars?"

"I don't know. I assume you'll keep going with tennis, but I was thinking of maybe joining the light music club. I've always wanted to learn to play the bass." Emma could only stare at her friend in disbelief.

"Bu..but…" she stammered. "I thought we both were gonna do Sensha-Do…you promised..."

"I said I'd think about it. Besides, why would you switch from tennis, You're nationals-level good?" Jane just looked back in confusion.

"Oh..." Emma said in a low voice as she put her fork down and just stared at the table with a pout. "I just thought we could do something together." Her sadness was rudely interrupted by Jane bursting into a laugh.

"I'm sorry," she said while drying her tears. "I was just joking with you. You've been going on-and-on about doing Sensha-Do at St. Gloriana for two years now. If I reneged on joining you now I'd never hear the end of it." She pulled out her extra-curricular activities form and showed a clear mark in the box marked Sensha-Do.

"That was not funny," Emma responded with a pout.

"I thought it was pretty funny."

"Well it wasn't. Don't play with my emotions like that Jane." She looked back up from the table, only to spot commotion around two girls on the other side of the cafeteria. "What's going on over there?" Jane turned around to look, and saw two blond girls elegantly making their way through the room.

"Well, the one with the long hair and black ribbon at the back is the student council president. Which you would've recognized, had you not been asleep during her speech at the inauguration. And I think the one in the red jacket with the braided hair is Elizabeth. She used to go to our middle school, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Isn't she Fitz's girlfriend?" Emma rarely paid attention to her brother's friends, but his best friend Fitzwilliam was hard to ignore.

"Last I knew anyways."Jane turned back to her lunch, but Emma's gaze was firmly locked on the student council president. There was something radiant about her that made it impossible for Emma to look away. After a few seconds, which for Emma felt like centuries, the girl turned and looked straight at her. As their eyes met, Emma felt an overwhelming heat in her cheeks, and stared down into her plate instead. While the student council president might not be staring at her anymore, she could feel someone else's gaze on her instead. "Well hello, what have we here?" Jane said with an intrigued voice.

"It's nothing, I'm just eating lunch."

"Oh, I don't think it's nothing. Either you ordered a very spicy dish, or you've got a thing for the president." Jane clasped her hands and leaned forwards to rest her chin on them, as Emma did her best to avoid her inquisitive looks.

"I'm telling you it's nothing. Now, can we go back to you just playing around with my emotions again?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Jane said with a grin.

* * *

Once classes let out, Emma and Jane headed towards the Sensha-Do teams training field. They lined up together with a few dozen more interested girls, and waited in the spring sun for the commander to appear and start up the introduction. They both killed time with small talk, until the chatter around them died out and they looked up towards the doors to the massive garage where the teams tanks were kept. Emma could hardly believe her eyes. There, dressed in a perfectly fitted red jacket and a black skirt, stood the student council president with a clipboard under her arm.

"She's the student council president AND commander of the Sensha-Do team? How cool can one girl get?" Emma whispered to Jane, who just giggled in response.

"Alright ladies, listen up!" The president called out, her voice effortlessly carrying across the field. "I know some of you have never participated in Sensha-Do, and some of you have storied careers in middle school teams from all across the prefecture. On behalf of the team, I wish you all welcome to this introduction. Sensha-Do is an elegant sport that aims to perfect the inherent qualities of any young lady, but it is also hard work. We run daily training sessions every afternoon, and that includes weekends when the _Ark Royal_ is not in port. St. Gloriana has a long and elegant history of Sensha-Do, and is considered one of the powerhouses of the Federation. Do not tarnish this legacy. St Gloriana is the beautiful poppy that grows on the battlefield, and will remain so forever more. Now follow me, and we'll get you all sorted with an introduction to the different roles that make up a crew, and give you your first taste of Sensha-Do."

They were led into the great warehouse and given a lecture on the many roles a crew needed to function. Gunner, loader, commander, driver and radio operator. Emma had of course read up on the sport for years, and was ready to take command of a tank. Sadly, none of them were allowed in one during the introduction, although they were shown a demonstration of the A-teams capabilities on the field. As the sun began to set, they were once again lined up in front of the garage, and the president spoke again.

"Should any of you wish to join our team, we will all be happy to have you. You may call me Assam; I'm one of the team's two vice-commanders." Emma could feel a sense of disappointment rise in her. How could anyone possibly outrank Assam-senpai? Surely she must have misheard. "You will all report to me, and to Jasmine; commander of the _Defiance_ as well as the Crusader Cavalry regiment, who is the team's other vice-commander." Assam reached out her arm and pointed to the girl walking up to stand beside her. To Emma's dismay, 'Jasmine' proved to be the blue-haired girl from the day before. She waltzed over to stand beside Assam-senpai, put her hands behind her back, and gave a self-important smile while Assam-senpai continued her speech. "...and you'll ultimately report to Lady Darjeeling; the team's commander, and commander of the _Victory_." Behind them, a low rumble made the presence of a Churchill-tank known. Sitting atop it was Elizabeth; the girl Emma and Jane had seen at lunch together with Assam-senpai, calmly drinking tea and not spilling a drop. The tank came to a stop, and the commander set down her now emptied cup before jumping down to the ground.

"Thank you Assam. I hope you girls have all gotten a good taste of what St. Gloriana's Sensha-Do is all about. If you wish to join the team, you may leave your forms to Nilgiri over there," Darjeeling pointed to a table by the side of the garage and the girl sitting behind it. "...and we shall see you for your first training, as well as jacket-fittings tomorrow at 16 o'clock.

* * *

The following day, Emma and Jane returned to the training field, along with a somewhat smaller crowd than the day before. As the clock neared 16, the rest of the team slowly arrived. At 16 sharp, Darjeeling-senpai, Assam-senpai and Jasmine appeared before them, and set the second and third years to work with regular training as the first years got fitted with uniforms. Once this was completed, they were all relegated to their assigned tanks. Emma did not get her wish to be assigned to the _Thunderer_ , the Cromwell that had served as 'Gale' Earl Grey's command tank. Instead she was assigned as driver to the _Vigilant_ , one of the crusaders. Jane meanwhile was tapped as loader on the _Victory_. Emma would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous of getting to share a tank with Assam-senpai. This jealousy was not the only trouble for Emma however. The crusaders all fell under the command of Jasmine, and the older girl did not let her chance to make Emma's life a living hell slip by. She was called out and ridiculed for the smallest mistake, even when the mistakes originated in Jasmine's orders. When Emma looked to her crewmates, all she was given were sympathetic looks and the occasional "you get used to it". Jasmine had apparently been trying to uphold order and subservience in the tanks under her command for some time, and even the older crusader commanders had given up trying to act against her. Fear of retribution had kept Jasmine's tyranny from Darjeeling-senpai and Assam-senpai's ears. Emma had no intention of letting this state of affairs continue, but she bided her time.

* * *

After a week of this, Emma had had enough. As the training session came to a close and the tanks were returned to the warehouse, Emma got out of the driver's seat, scoped out her target, and decided to act. Jasmine was standing around talking with the two cronies she had been with when they crossed paths with Emma and Jane the day before yesterday, while two first years were working themselves to exhaustion scrubbing the _Defiance_ 's front armor plates.

"And when I get back I want that armor to be shiny enough that I can see myself in it, you hear?" Jasmine laughed and started to walk away, but did not see Emma storming towards her. She grabbed Jasmine by the scruff of her neck as she had done in the dorms, and rammed her against a pillar.

"Do you at all care? Huh?"

"Unhand me this once you pathetic first year!" At first only a few people in the garage had noticed over the sound of whirring engines, but more and more people had left their chores behind to watch the disagreement.

"Answer me!" Emma shouted in Jasmine's face and tightened her grip. "Do you care?"

"About what, you peasant?"

"About tanks? about Sensha-Do? About your friends? Or even just the people around you? Do you care about anything at all? Anything except power really?"

"What kind of loser cares about others? Power is everything in this world. It's only right that people should bow down before their betters." Jasmine managed to hit Emma in the shoulder, but her grip held. She tried to push Emma away, but they ended up falling into the dirt outside, where after a few seconds of struggle, Emma had gotten the upper hand.

"You really should have stopped when you were ahead. I was prepared to just punch you and leave," Emma said and delivered a solid punch to Jasmine's face. Jasmine's response was swift, and their scuffle turned into a full-on brawl, but it was obvious to both Emma and anyone watching that Jasmine didn't have the advantage in either strength nor experience. At this point most of the Sensha-Do team had gathered around the two fighting girls.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" The one voice Emma did not want to hear in this situation yelled out across the warehouse and yard. An opening appeared in the crowd surrounding the two girls, and in it appeared Assam-senpai. "How dare you disgrace the name of St. Gloriana during your first week?"

"But miss Assa…"

"No buts. I won't hear a word of it." The anger and rage was apparent in Assam-senpai's face, even though it looked just as calm and collected as it had during yesterday's introduction. "And you," she now turned to Jasmine, "you should know better. You are vice-commander of this team, and yet you sully yourself and the school with brawling like a common thug." At this point Jane had together with Jasmine's cronies managed to tear the girls apart and get them back on their feet. They were both covered in dirt, scrapes and bruises, with any blood thankfully hidden by the red jackets. "Were it up to me you would both be off the ship and back on shore within the hour, but luckily for you, I can only…"

"That's enough, Assam." Darjeeling-senpai's calm voice rang out over the crowd as she appeared beside Assam-senpai. "All of you, get back to work. There's nothing to see here." The crowd quickly began to disperse. Jane looked at Emma and wordlessly mouthed "good luck" as she left. "You two will both report to my office at 6 o'clock. Is that understood?" Emma and Jasmine nodded as they caught their breath. "Good. Until then, you are dismissed." The look on Assam-senpai's face was forever burned into Emma's memory as she slowly walked towards the dorms.

* * *

Assam-senpai met the two girls outside the commander's quarters on the top floor of the dorms. She didn't say anything as she led them into Darjeeling-senpai's study, but the looks she gave them provided more than enough insight into her thoughts.

"Now then," Darjeeling-senpai began speaking to Emma from behind her desk. "What's your name, and what is this all about."

"Cadet Emma, of the _Vigilant_ , Driver, First year." Emma raised her hand in salute, until Darjeeling-senpai nodded for her to drop it. "Vice-commander Jasmine holds no respect for her subordinates. She pushes those under her command around, treats them as expendable, belittles them for mistakes often originating from her own ineptitude at commanding, and actively discourages those under her command from stepping forward to report her misconduct through threats and bullying." Jasmine started to protest, but was silenced by a look from the commander.

"These are grave accusations you lay forth Cadet. Do you have anything to substantiate these claims?" Darjeeling-senpai took a sip from her teacup as she looked at Emma.

"I am but one to suffer under her treatment, Commander. If you ask others in the crusader cavalry regiment I am certain they will corroborate my story and add their own experiences to it."

"Very well," Darjeeling said and turned to Jasmine. "Jasmine, what do you say to these accusations?"

"They are a complete falsehood, Commander. The Cadet attacked me out of the blue, without provocation after I have shown her nothing but courtesy and respect, and done all in my power to provide her a sensible and foundational knowledge in the ways of our school's Sensha-Do."

"Commander, the Vice-commander is lying. She..." Emma began before Assam glared at her and any will to push the issue died down. She dared not look the Vice-copmmander in the eye.

"The girl is clearly deranged. She has neither the experience, temperament, etiquette or social status to uphold our school's traditions and should be tried for insubordination and assault of an officer at once."

"Hmm…" Darjeeling said as she considered their words, before turning to Jasmine. "Jasmine, you will return to your quarters…"

"Yes Commander!" Jasmine answered with an energetic salute, and gave Emma a smug look.

"...where you will relinquish your rank insignia to Vice-commander Assam. You are hereby demoted to cadet, and are prohibited from participating in the team's practice sessions for the next fortnight."

"Co...commander?" The look on Jasmine's face shifted to one of confusion as she looked at Darjeeling-senpai, and her hand fell to her side.

"Is your hearing perhaps damaged Cadet? You are to return to your quarters and relinquish all rank insignia to Vice-commander Assam."

"This...is...This is an outrage!" Jasmine said with increasing rage. "You can't treat me this way. Or so help me god you will…"

"Dismissed Cadet!" For the first time Darjeeling-senpai raised her voice. "Or I will have you tried for insubordination and cast out from my team." Jasmine, sensing the weakness of her position, turned and left the study, with Assam-senpai following behind her. Emma could do nothing but stand there in stunned silence. "I thank you for coming forth, Cadet," Darjeeling said. "Tokujira has been a thorn in both my and the previous commander's side for awhile. Her position and family influence has made her...difficult to get rid." Emma couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.

"So...you knew what she was doing?" Darjeeling-senpai nodded. "Then why didn't you do anything?"

"Almost everyone knew what she was doing, they just didn't know that everyone else knew. The problem was getting someone to step forward. Both myself and Assam tried many times to get people to testify against her, but they were always too afraid to. Until you that is, Cadet Emma. Although I don't think that rank or name quite suits you." Darjeeling-senpai got up from behind her desk and walked over to a bookcase, where she started looking through many different small drawers, clearly looking for something "Are you aware of how names are handled here at St. Gloriana?"

"Yes Commander. Commanders and senior staff are awarded a tea name upon their promotion to a rank that commands such a name."

"Correct, Cadet," Darjeeling-senpai responded and reached out a small silk bag. As Emma took it she could sense a faint smell emanating from it. "That bag shall be kept upon your person at all times whenever you represent the team. Cadet Emma, I hereby bestow upon you the rank of Group commander, and with it, the name 'Rosehip'. You are hereby given command of the _Defiance_ , as well as the crusader cavalry regiment." The commander held forth a small cloth patch of a crown, as Emma stood silently in disbelief for a second before responding.

"Tha..Thank you, Commander. I will make sure to live up to your expectations."

"Rosehip, you are dismissed." Emma turned and left the study beaming with happiness. Her mood however dropped as she met Assam-senpai in the door, with a terrified-looking Jane following behind her. They did not exchange words, but Emma wished Jane all the best, hoping her fortune had not come at the cost of Jane's.

* * *

Emma, or Rosehip as she maybe should start calling herself, sat huddled in the corridor outside Jane's room for the better part of an hour and waited for her friend to return. What possible reason could Darjeeling-senpai have for calling Jane in? Had she seen her help Emma and was worried she would become like Jasmine's 'friends'? Was she going to throw Jane out of the team to keep Emma in line even though Jane was innocent? These and a hundred other worrying thoughts kept racing through Emma's head as she waited.

"Emma? What are you doing here?" Emma looked up to see Jane standing there. She immediately got up and threw herself at her friend.

"I was so worried about you!" she said with tears starting to well up. "Did the commander throw you out? I'll talk to her tomorrow and get you reinstated. I'm a group commander now, so maybe I've got the influence…"

"Hang on, slow down,"Jane said and patted Emma's head. "First of all let's go inside. It's pretty late." She opened the door and led Emma into her room, and they sat down on the bed beside each other. "You got made a group commander? I thought you were going to be expelled!" Emma took the napkin Jane gave her and dried her tears.

"Yeah… The commander demoted Jasmine all the way to cadet, and gave me her position instead. Apparently she's been a pain in the neck for them for a while."

"So wait, that means you were given the _Defiance_ right?" Emma nodded with a smile. "So what name were you given?"

"Henceforth, I am Rosehip, the tanker previously known as Emma" Emma pulled out the small bag Darjeeling-senpai had given her, and triumphantly lifted it high above her. "So you better start treating me with more respect Jane! I'm your superior officer now."

"Maybe I should," Jane blurted out as she started to laugh. She reached into her pocket before continuing. "But maybe you should treat me with more respect instead." She pulled out an identical bag to the one Emma was holding. Emma only looked on in confusion and mounting horror at Jane's next words. "After you left, Darjeeling explained the vacuum left behind by Jasmine to me. We talked a bit, and she promoted me to be the new Vice-commander. I'm now to be known as Orange Pekoe."

"But...but hang on, that's not even a kind of tea?"

"Beats me. I guess Darjeeling thought it was close enough." Jane shrugged as she put the small bag back in her pocket.

"Well, I guess a little nepotism is sometimes a good thing. You're lucky Charles and Fitz are such good friends." Emma looked at Jane with a smile. Jane decided to not divulge Darjeeling's fawning over her, the many exclamations of 'how cute and adorable she was' and the excessive headpats, and instead just nodded in agreement

"Yeah…so how did your beloved Assam-senpai handle the situation?" Emma's grin quickly shifted to a look of sad dismay.

"Oh no...In all the excitement I forgot about that. I bet she hates me now. She'll never even look at me again, much less like me."

"Well, it's not all bad news…" Jane said, as a look started to spread across her face that could only mean she was preparing to deliver some of her famous wit. "At least you've made an impression."


	6. The Fast and the Studious Part 1: Of Bullies and Brotherly Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of a three-part story arc. Emma tries to save Assam from bullies, Charles gives some brotherly advice, and delivers a shocking revelation.

**Of Bullies and Brotherly Advice**

_**The Fast and the Studious: Part 1** _

* * *

The rain fell across the deck of the Ark Royal as Emma ran through the streets and alleyways, holding her bag above her head in a vain attempt to keep dry. The sky was still clear when her shift ended, but did she go home then? Of course not. She just had to stay at the arcade, trying desperately for a new top time at one of the racing games. Was getting the top spot worth having to run home in the rain? She wasn't entirely sure. Still, what else was she to do? Lady Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe were off watching some tankery-match, and most of the automotive club was out with a cold, so she really had nothing better to spend her afternoon on. Soon it wouldn't matter anyways, as she turned to take a shortcut across campus on her way to the dorms.

As she passed underneath one of the covered walkways, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. As she looked around her, she saw Assam-senpai standing in the rain, leaning on the main building. Surrounding her were three girls that Emma sadly recognized. In front of Assam-senpai stood a tall girl with round glasses and blue hair pulled back in a ponytail. Aoi Tokujira, or 'Jasmine' as she had been called when Emma had first had the misfortune of meeting her, and on either side of Assam-senpai stood one of her two cronies. Even though Emma couldn't hear what they were saying, it was clear from body language and expressions that they were having an argument. That was until Assam-senpai snapped back at something Tokujira had said. Her response was in turn answered by a forceful slap in the face from Tokujira. At this point, Emma snapped, and started charging across the courtyard towards them.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER, YOU BITCH!" she yelled as she got closer, and tackled Tokujira to the ground. Tokujira's surprise gave Emma ample opportunity to get a good punch in, before Tokujira's friends grabbed her and tore her off their leader.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. A peasant believing herself to be a knight," Tokujira said as she got up from the ground and wiped the blood from her cracked lip. "And here I thought the charming Assam would teach you not to make enemies you can't deal with." While her friends held Emma's arms tightly removing the option of escape, Tokujira put everything she had into a powerful fist straight to Emma's stomach. She nearly doubled over as the air left her lungs, gasping from the pain and lack of oxygen. As she looked back up, Tokujira was bending down to grab her chin. "A runt like you really should keep her nose out of other people's business," she said with a smile. Emma just spat in her face as reply. A slap followed by another strike to her stomach was her reward. Tokujira signalled something to her companions, and Emma was thrown back on the ground. For a second she thought she was being given an opportunity to escape or perhaps fight, but these thoughts were quickly thrown out as the two girls started kicking her while Tokujira stood and watched, laughing to herself.

"Alright fine, I'll do it," Assam-senpai said as she got up from where the Tokujira's goons had thrown her. "Just leave her out of this. This is between me and you, Tokujira." The kicking subsided as the girls looked to Tokujira for orders. The blue haired girl pondered the situation for a second, before nodding to her friends.

"You sure about that, Assam? So many horrible things could happen to you, your reputation, and the team you care so much for should you be found out," Tokujira said in a mocking tone as she turned back to Assam-senpai. Emma only heard the conversation, her body too full of pain to open her eyes.

"I'm sure. You'll have it by the end of the week, as long as you leave, and leave Rosehip out of this." Assam-senpai said with determination.

"Rosehip, huh? So that's the name they gave a bitch like you." Tokujira laughed. "I suppose it's fitting. So sweet, and yet you sting like hell. I suppose we'll leave you to kiss and make up with your girlfriend here then." One of the girls gave Emma a final kick, and then the trio walked off. Emma barely had the strength to get up, no less tell a joke, but she didn't want to worry Assam-senpai. Slowly she managed to heave herself back on her feet, and stumbled towards the vice-commander.

"Well, We sure saw them off, didn't we. I'm just happy you're saf…" As she got closer to Assam-senpai, her brave posturing was interrupted by a slap to the face.

"YOU IDIOT! DON'T YOU THINK I HAVE ENOUGH TROUBLE WITHOUT YOU RUSHING IN AND MAKING THINGS WORSE?" Assam-senpai screamed at her, her face crimson of rage, before turning and running away. Emma could barely understand what had happened, but she could feel her strength fail her, and she collapsed against the wall.

* * *

She didn't know how long she sat there in the rain, covered in dirt and freezing, but it was a while. What had she done wrong? What had she done to make Assam-senpai hate her? She cried as the memories of all the times she had been scolded by the vice-commander, and all the times she had tried her best to approach her but failed, played on repeat in her mind's eye. She had only wanted to protect her from Tokujira and her gang. What was so wrong about that? She saw the girl she was in love with harassed by bullies, and rushed to help. Why was that wrong? Why couldn't Assam-senpai see that she loved her? What had Tokujira even been trying to force Assam-senpai into? There were so many questions, and so many mistakes, and so many tears. Emma had always handled her problems by facing them head-on and charging right at them. That is, until she met Assam-senpai. There was something about the blonde that made her freeze and lock up, and it was only Orange Pekoe's carefully teasing and prodding that helped her manage it all. But Orange Pekoe wasn't there. Lady Darjeeling wasn't there. Assam-senpai wasn't there. She was all alone. All alone in the rain, freezing, covered in dirt and bruises, like the failure she was.

* * *

She must have been sitting there for hours, her arms holding her knees and her head down. Or at least that's how it felt. The only thing that brought her attention back was what felt like fabric falling over her. She had long since stopped noticing the sensation of the rain falling upon her, but the coat that was now draped over her reminded her how cold and wet she actually was. "You know," a familiar voice said with a sense of superiority, " if you stay out in the rain like this you'll get a cold." As Emma lifted her head and looked up from under the coat, she saw Charles standing there, leaning against the wall beside her.

"Go away, Charles," she said as she shrunk back underneath the coat. "I want to be left alone."

"Sorry to say this, sis," he replied, "but I don't care."

"Just. Go. Away." She was starting to get annoyed with him. "And take your coat back, or you'll catch a cold."

"No," he said defiantly, "and I'll tell you why I'm not going to go away or take my coat back. It's because my little sister is sitting alone in the rain, covered in dirt and bruises, and bawling her eyes out. And as far as I know, my sister wouldn't do that just for the heck of it, which would have to mean; someone did this to her." Emma heard Charles sliding down the wall and taking a seat besides her. "And there are two ways we can solve this issue. Either A, you tell me who did this and I'll go do the same to them, which seems counterproductive and only feeding a cycle of violence, or B, you take my hand and let me help you back to your dorm room where we can get you cleaned up and talk about it."

"Just leave me alone Charles," Emma said and turned away from her brother.

"You've known me for 16 years, Emma. You know as well as I do that until you tell me if I should go for option A or B, I'll keep sitting here and pestering you for an answer, which will ultimately only mean that we both get sick." He lifted the side of the coat and looked in on her. "So, which will it be?" Emma just sat there, trying to dam her previous thoughts so she could mull over Charles' proposal. As funny as it would be to see Charles take Tokujira and her goons down a peg, he was right. It wouldn't solve anything. Besides, Tokujira wasn't even the main reason she was sitting here feeling depressed. "So, which one will it be? Don't make me use the cane," he repeated.

"Ugh… Fine," she said chuckling. "You win. B, I choose B."

"Good," Charles said as he forced himself up. "Then let's get going, shall we." As she looked out from under the coat, she saw Charles standing there, hand reaching down to help her up. She took it and did what she could to push herself up, even with her entire body still in pain. Charles adjusted the coat so it hung across her shoulders, and put her arm across his for support. He then put one arm behind her back to give further support, and the other on his cane to support his own crippled leg.

"Can you stop limping? My entire body bursts into pain whenever you stumble."

"Well, I'm sorry I can't walk straight. My sister crippled me a year ago, but I'll pass on your complaints next time I see her."

Slowly but steadily, he got them both to the dorms.

* * *

Once Emma was back safe and sound in her dorm room, Charles just grabbed a towel to dry himself off and walked out into the corridor. She'd call him back in when she'd showered and changed. Luckily he wasn't nearly as soaked through as Emma was. Besides, he was in casual clothes, so he was fine. Well, casual by his standards at least. As he stood there with the towel hanging around his neck, he spent the time speculating as to what would have happened. Not that the answer was difficult to reach. His sister had always been the brashest, bravest and most confident person he had known. She wasn't the type to break down crying in the rain. Except for when it came to one other person. Elinor. Or Assam, as St. Gloriana-students called her. He'd never understood the appeal of the tea names.

While Emma had never told him about it directly, she'd rather die than talk about it with him of her own volition, he had gotten enough of the story from talking with Jane to make an educated guess.

Whenever Elinor came up, or generally was around, Emma froze. All her confidence would go out the window, and she'd be reduced to a tongue-tied and embarrassed idiot. Ever since she'd seen her for the first time in the cafeteria on her and Jane's first day, her only reaction to seeing or meeting her would be going red with embarrassment. Charles didn't blame her of course, first love was a difficult thing, but there was still something inherently funny about the Emma he knew reacting like that. It hadn't helped that the first real interaction between the two had been because Emma attacked a senior during Sensha-Do training, leading to a fight that Elinor had to break up. Since then, it seemed Emma had done nothing but drive Elinor up the walls with her energy and overall lack of respect for authority. And yet, according to Jane and Elizabeth at least, you could cut the romantic tension with a knife.

* * *

"Alright, I'm done. You can come in again," Emma said as she opened the door, her hair still wet from the shower. She had managed to change into some loose-fitting pajamas, which covered her well enough. It's not like he hadn't seen worse from them growing up. Charles followed her into the room, and motioned to her bed.

"Sit down. We need to treat those wounds."

"Charles, I'm fine. Just leave me alon…"

"No. You are not. Now sit down on the bed, or I'll knock you over the head," he said as he walked into the bathroom and brought out the small medkit he had forced Emma to put in her baggage when she moved to the Ark Royal. As he expected, it was still unopened. "So, what happened?" He said as he started cleaning the many scratches, bruises and open wounds, dabbing them with alcohol.

"OW," Emma yipped as he started. "Nothing happened. Some stupid girl just beat me up is all."

"Uh huh, and what had you done to anger this giant gorilla of a girl?" he said in disbelief, fully aware Emma would easily take down any girl twice her size. Therefore he knew there must have been a number of them, but he'd play along unless it was necessary to pull that detail out of her.

"Nothing," she began to protest, but after a knowing look from Charles, she acquiesced. "I may have tackled her."

"And why did you tackle her?"

"It's…" she didn't even bother to continue her denial. "It's, ouch, it was because she was threatening Assam-senpai."

"AHA!" Charles exclaimed triumphantly. "Now we've found the crux of the matter."

"Very funny. Like you wouldn't take down half the Hikoki-Do team if Jane was in danger."  
"I wasn't judging, just making an observation." By this point he had moved on to putting band-aids on the smaller wounds. "I'm sure that girl deserved it, it's just that now I know what I should keep asking,"

"Oh? Please Mr. Holmes, grace me with your intellect," Emma replied with all the sarcasm she could muster.

"And so after this gorilla-girl beat you up, what happened between you and Elinor?"

"I...I don't know…" Emma began, but soon just stared out the window with tears forming in her eyes. "She said I was an idiot. Why would she do that? I was just trying to protect her?! Why would she say that I was an idiot, Charles? She just stood there and screamed in my face that I was an idiot." The words which at first had seemed dried up now burst forth in a great torrent. The words were soon joined by tears and sniffles in equal supply, as Emma broke down completely.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it. That doesn't sound like Elinor."

"What do you know about Assam-Senpai?! You've never even met her. The only thing you know about her is what Jane tells you when you're both laughing at me behind my back!"

"First of all, we don't laugh at you. Do we think it's strange that you can't make a move? Yes. But I want you to know that we never laugh at you." Charles put a hand on Emma's cheek and met her eyes. "And if she did ever laugh at you behind your back, I couldn't break up with her fast enough. No one," he said forcefully, "no one laughs at my sister and gets away with it. You hear me?" Emma just gave a sad nod in response. "And secondly, I know a lot more about Elinor than you think. So believe me when I say that she didn't mean it, that it doesn't sound like her, and that she definitely doesn't think you're an idiot."

"You mean that?" Emma asked, on the verge of breaking down.

"I absolutely do. And I know you're in a lot of pain right now, but this cut here," he pointed to an especially gnarly cut on her forearm. "I'm going to have to suture this, OK? So you just keep talking about what happened, and I'll do my best to give support while I'm suturing, and then I'll treat you to ice cream. Deal?"

"With sprinkles?" she asked between the tears with the innocence of a child, sniffling all the while.

"I'll buy you as much ice cream as you want, sprinkles, sauce and all," he said with a smile, and began to work. He'd patched up 'Fitz' and the other fly-boys back on the Audacity more times than he could count, so this cut would be no challenge. "Did Elinor say anything else to you? Other than calling you an idiot, which, once again, you are not."

"She said she has enough problems without me. I'm pretty sure she just hates me."

"She does not hate you," Charles said as he with practised hands began stitching up the wound.

"She totally does. Ever since she first noticed me during the first week of practice. I just make any situation worse. Why wouldn't she hate me?"

"Think of it like this instead. Why would she keep going out of her way to correct you? She's the vice-commander, and the student council president. If you were just causing trouble all the time and annoying her, she could just put you on the bench and not let you play in any matches. Or she could talk to Elizabeth and have you cast out. And yet she hasn't, right?"

"I...I guess."

"So doesn't that prove something?"

"I guess so," Emma said in a low voice. "Damnit, why do you always have to be right?"  
"I don't have to. I just am."

"Ow-ow-ow," Emma tried to give Charles a friendly punch, but the pain from her multitude of wounds stopped her.

"And this brings us to the next question: How do you feel about her?"

"I don't really know. I feel warm inside when I see her. She lights up the room when she walks in, she's just perfect in every way, she…"

"So what you're saying is you love her?" Charles interrupted.

"I guess I do. I guess I am in love with her."

"Then why haven't you told her?"

"Because what if she doesn't love me back? What if she's just nice to me because I'm her junior?"

"How are you going to find out if you don't ask?"

"But like…"

"I didn't know Jane was in love with me when she asked. And I don't think she knew for sure that I was in love with her. I could just as easily only have been nice to her because I've known her for so long."

"But that's different."

"No, it isn't. Love is never certain. At least not to the ones who experience it. And you'll never know if you don't ask her. Especially not with how reserved Elinor is. She could be head-over-heels in love with you and you'd never know."

"But how could I even ask her out? She's the student council president, she's vice-commander of the Sensha-Do team, she's top of her grade and the smartest girl in the entire school. She's smart, and cute, and beautiful, and elegant, and I'm… I'm incredibly not. I'm just an overeager moron. Even if I did muster up the courage to ask her out, there's no way she'd ever be in love with me. OW!" Emma yipped and nearly jumped up off the bed as Charles put the finishing touch on the stitches.

"That may be so," Charles said as he started to clean and pack up the medkit. "But will you really be happier by just walking around and fantasizing, never knowing for sure? Wouldn't it be better to ask her, to know for certain how she feels? The best case scenario of you asking is she goes out with you, and you're both happier. If she doesn't like you in the same way, the only difference between that and how things are like now is that you know for sure. And then you can either keep imagining what things could be like, you can move on, or you can do your damnedest to become the type of person she would fall in love with."

"Curse you and your logic."

"Hey, I'm just doing what I can to cheer you up," he said as he got up from the bed to put the medkit back in the bathroom and wash his hands. "But I will say this; She's a third year, and if you want to share some time with her, or especially if you want to date her, you're running out of time and options. Come April she's gone. Or even worse…"  
"Fine. I get it. I'll try to ask her out."

"Or even worse," Charles continued, "She'll start going out with someone else. That tall gunner from Saunders, she seems like Elinor's type."  
"I get it, now let's go." She tried to get up from the bed, but jolts of pain shot through her as she did.

"I don't think you're in shape to go anywhere," Charles said as he walked back into the room. He came over to her by the side of the bed. "In fact I think you should lie down and rest."

"But what about ice cream?" Emma asked with a pout. "You promised me ice cream."

"I know, but I also never said I'd treat you today. The Audacity doesn't leave port until tomorrow night, so I'll be around. You go to bed and get some rest, and I'll be by tomorrow to treat you then ok? I'll even buy you lunch."

"Fine, but I get to pick where we eat."

"Sure. Whatever you pick can't be worse than the convenience store-garbage you'd eat otherwise." He leaned in to hug his sister, as gingerly as he could.

"That huuuurts," Emma complained, and so he let go and made his way towards the door. "But thank you Charles. You're the best brother I've got."

"Can I get that in writing to show the others?"

"Just go. I'll see you tomorrow." He gave a final nod goodbye as he put on his still damp coat, grabbed his cane and walked out as Emma slowly crept down beneath the covers.

* * *

While Charles had managed to see to his sister's well-being, he was not yet done with his excursion onto the Ark Royal. There was someone else he needed to check up on. As he made his way up the stairs he ran through what he was going to say in his head, before arriving on the third floor, where he third-years had their accommodations. He walked through the corridors, and stopped in front of his intended door, on which he gave a few gentle knocks with the grip of his cane. After a few seconds, the door opened.

"Charles? What are you doing here?" Elinor looked at him with confusion.

"I just got done talking to Emma. Can I come in?"

"Oh. Yeah, sure," she said with surprise, and walked back into her room, leaving the door open behind her. "Sorry about the mess. Tea?"

"Please," Charles responded as he hung his coat by the door.

"Dianhong right?"

"You know me." Charles took a seat on Elinor's bed and looked around the room as he waited for the tea. He hadn't seen Elinor for quite a while, but the room still looked about as he expected. It was lightly furnished despite its size, only containing the bed, a computer desk for work, a small table with two chairs, and a single bookshelf in the corner. The walls had all been left bare, as opposed to Jane or Emma's rooms whose walls were covered by paintings or posters. After a few minutes Elinor came over with two cups of steaming tea, and nodded to the table, so he moved to one of the chairs.

"So, what brings you here? I'm not going to help you with your homework if that's what you're after." Elinor looked at him quizzically, seemingly racking her brain as to why he was there. He pretended not to notice, and instead reached over to the bookshelf to pull out a chess-set.

"You still play?"

"Not as much as I'd like."

"Care to have the conversation over a game?"

"Sure, although I don't see you posing much of a challenge. You haven't before."

"Who knows? Maybe I've been practising," he said as he began setting up the pieces.

"So," Elinor started as she pushed her pawn forward, "what's this about?"

"As I said, I was helping Emma clean out her wounds. And she told me what happened." Charles responded with a pawn of his own.

"And how does that relate to me? I said what I said. It's her own fault she got hurt. If she hadn't tackled Tokujira to the ground, she would be fine." A knight sprung forth to cover her exposed pawn.

"You did, and I agree. If she hadn't gotten involved, she wouldn't have needed stitches." This information was clearly news to Elinor, as she looked up in shock. "Oh, don't worry, I've already patched her up. However," he continued as he advanced a bishop, "I don't think she's as hurt by the getting beat up as she is by what you said to her."

"That girl is impossible," Elinor mumbled to herself as she made her move. "And what? You're here to make me apologize?"

"Nothing of the sort. I've known you long enough to know you didn't mean it, and I told Emma as much." He paused and rubbed his chin as he observed the board. "What I want to know is why you said it when that's not how you feel."

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think? That girl just keeps getting on my nerves."

"Elle, come on. Elizabeth is probably the only one who knows you better than me. Or am I wrong?" He thought back to the countless afternoons he'd spent in the library together with Elinor during middle school. She was always the smartest girl at school, and his grades were less than stellar, so after having seen her all alone in the library one time too many he asked her for help. As time passed they would meet up just to talk, and after a while they were true friends.

"Maybe you're right. I still don't understand why you walked up to talk to me that day."  
"Partially because my parents would kill me if my grades didn't improve, and partially because you looked really lonely. And while my grades haven't improved much, you sure seem different now than you did back then." it was true. The Elinor before him looked nothing like the quiet and reserved Elinor he'd known in middle school. It helped that she'd stopped braiding her hair, changed her bottle-lensed glasses for contacts, and gained a foot in height. He was pretty sure neither Emma or Jane had even realized they had at one point gone to the same school as her. "But I still want to know why you called Emma an idiot when you don't think she is one. You were never one to lie."

"I was just really pissed at her, ok? I didn't know what to say, so I lashed out."

"Still, that's not a good thing to say to someone you care so deeply about."

"What gives you the idea that I care for her? She's just annoying me at every opportunity."

"Well, in order to not bring up a laundry list of reasons, you were the one who told me about where she was and what she was doing." He thought back to when he had first made his way to St. Gloriana's dorms earlier in the day. He and Jane usually planned their dates weeks in advance since their school-carriers so rarely shared a harbor, but this time he was going to surprise her. The surprise turned out to be moot when he found out she had gone off with Elizabeth to watch a tankery-match. But as he was preparing to leave, a crying elinor had passed him, and told him where he would find Emma. "She's really hurt. You really need to go help her," she had told him, and off he went to see his sister sitting alone in the rain.

"That doesn't mean anything," she responded, "Maybe I was just telling you because of our friendship."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps it's because deep down you're in love with her," Charles said nonchalantly as he advanced one of his rooks to take out an enemy knight. As he looked up from the board he saw Elinor looking at him in disbelief.

"Are you stupid? I'm not in love with her. I'm just looking out for her is all."

"Uh-huh. Then tell me, how do you feel when you see her?"

"I feel sick."

"Explain," Charles said and leaned back with a curious smile.

"My heart starts beating faster than I can bear, My stomach feels as if I'm in a spitfire doing combat drills, My cheeks get red-hot, I start to lose focus and can't see anything around her…"

"Let me stop you right there, Elinor. That's what us mortals call 'Being in love'."

"No it isn't. That's not love."

"Yes it is."

"No it is not," she protested. "How do you know?"

"Yes, it is. And do you know how I know that?"

"No?"

"I know because that's the way I feel when I look at Jane," he said, debating with himself if he should push harder before continuing, "and before I fell in love with her, it's how I felt whenever I looked at you." He met Elinor's gaze as he said that last part. It was clear she didn't fully grasp what he had just said.

"You...you what?"

"Yeah," he said as he scratched his neck with some embarrassment, "I used to have a crush on you back in middle school. In fact," he said as he gave a faint but guilty smile, "that was the third reason that I came up to talk to you that day."

"You...did? It...was?"

"Yeah. But you never seemed interested, and I didn't want to make things awkward between us, so I never acted on it." He reached forward and made a daring attack with his queen. At this point Elinor didn't even bother to look at the board. She just sat there in silence, mouth agape, not entirely sure how she should handle what she had just been told. After a few minutes of this, Charles got up from his chair. "Food for thought," he said as he knocked his king over. It was no fun playing against an opponent who didn't give the game their full attention. He gave Elinor a pat on the shoulder as he walked past, and reached for his coat. "Thank you for the tea, the game, and the talk. I'll see you around." He gave a small wink and wave to his friend before leaving the room and starting to make his way towards the Audacity.

* * *

Elinor did not sleep that night. All she could do was ask herself questions, walking in circle after circle around her room. Questions she did not know the answer to. Charles had been in love with her? Why? How had she felt about him? He was a friend, a trusted friend. Wasn't he? She was in love with Rosehip? No. Of course she wasn't. Or, was she? She didn't know. Her analytical mind did all it could to find answers, but none were to be found.


	7. The Fast and The Studious Part 2: Of Allies and Afterparties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the afterparty for The Cauldron, Rosehip discovers just how chatty you can get when you're drunk, and Orange Pekoe discovers just how annoying someone very chatty can be. There is also a great deal of talk about marmalade, and perhaps either Assam or Rosehip will finally confess their feelings for one another. Who knows?

**Of Allies and Afterparties**

_**The Fast and the Studious: Part 2** _

* * *

Jane was leaning back against the picnic table she was sitting at. It was the first time all week she had been able to relax. The week had been dominated by one singular event that had grabbed the attention of the entire japanese tankery-community, and many outside it; 'The Cauldron'. The last couple of days had been a mad scramble between tankathlon matches, both watching and participating, as well as the 24-hour non-stop battle that had been the semi-finals. 'The death match of Komoro' they called it. When Darjeeling had approached her all those weeks ago and told her that she would command a volunteer team for tankery, she had admittedly been taken aback. Why had Darjeeling suddenly found such fascination with tankery? She had always proclaimed a love of the elegance and proper respect that Sensha-do brought, and yet she was now instructing her vice-commander to put together a team?

Still, she had taken to the task like a duck to water. She had recruited the foremost members of St. Gloriana's sensha-do team, and drilled them as best she could. Their training matches against the regular team proved promising, after Rosehip had managed to outflank Rukuriri's flag tank. Sadly, all their preparations hadn't proved enough. She had been defeated by Jajka from Bonple, 'The Queen of Tankathlon', and by the rules of the tournament, been recruited into her team. The real shock of the tournament had come last morning, when the format and rules for the semi-finals had been revealed. They had all believed that a second round much like the first would follow, but no. Darjeeling had unveiled her master plan at the last minute. Each remaining team was to be paired up with another, and take part in a 24-hour battle, with no breaks for food, sleep or other human needs. A mad scramble for supplies had started the day off, with members from every team clearing out every convenience store and supermarket they could find. And then the battle had been upon them.

Jane had been impressed by the leadership of both Jajka and Shizuka Tsuruki of the infamous 'Centipede team', who instead of charging blindly into combat without resolving their differences, had instead sat down for tea. The battle was long and brutal, so why not start it off with clearing one's mind. A massive back-and-forth struggle had followed, with confusion raging on all sides. Darjeeling herself had taken part under the not very subtle pseudonym 'Black tea mask', as had Maho Nishizumi, also under pseudonym. But the most surprising turn of the massive battle had been the introduction of 'Team Oni' halfway through the conflict. Manning two fearsomely modified tankettes, they had begun to make mincemeat of any competitor they could find, and were only halted by a grand coalition of foes-turned-friends. In the end, the battle had been so tiring, many had collapsed from exhaustion the moment the final horn bellowed. All who participated had been driven to the brink of insanity by lack of sleep, lack of food, lack of safety, but most of all, the constant adrenaline rushing through their veins.

* * *

But now, the battle was over. The finals had been postponed upon the organizing staff's insistence, and the victory had rather underwhelmingly been handed to Aung, the commander of Tategoto's forces. She was a nice enough girl, and she had been properly congratulated for the victory, but deep inside anyone who had been a part of the battle found it to be a cheap and unfair way of winning. Still, here they now all were; at the afterparty so graciously organized by Saunders. Massive tents had been erected, and the smell of barbeque emanated across the field. The celebratory tone of the party was near ruined early on, as Jajka and Shizuka both had demanded Darjeeling organize a game between either of them and Miho Nishizumi of Ooarai, but the matter had been settled amiably enough.

And here she was. Leaning against a picnic table, a bottle of soda in her hand, and stared out across the festivities. At one table sat Anchovy and the girls from Anzio, arguing with Miho's radio operator about the proper way to cook bolognese, at another Alysa from Saunders was trying to convince Shizuka to let her join her team for the battle against Bonple. In the corner Assam stood and chatted with Naomi, and at one of the barbeque pits, Rin Matzukase, Shizuka's driver, was fang-girling over Leopon team's abilities as mechanics. As Jane glanced over to one of the openings of the tent, she saw Darjeeling trying as best she could to subtly sneak away from the party with Kay. Which was to say, she was being in no way subtle, doing not much more than whistling inconspicuously, and with the bubbly and loud-mouthed Saunders commander in tow, perhaps she could do no better. All around Jane was energy and activity. She was in no way tired of the party, but she did need to step away for a little while, if nothing else to regain enough energy to take up another conversation.

"Hey. You ok?" a redheaded girl in Bonple's tankery-uniform asked her. It was Uszka, Jajka's second-in-command, and the main liaison between her and the rest of 'red team' during the semi-finals. While the girl was perhaps a bit much for Jane, she was kind and friendly to a fault. There were rumours she had even covered for Yukari Akiyama when she infiltrated Bonple. Still, there was nothing to dislike about Uszka, and she had treated both Jane and Emma as true friends from the moment they had joined Jajka's team. Although, in Jane's opinion, she was maybe a bit too friendly with Emma.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jane responded and gestured for her to have a seat. "Just a bit exhausted, that's all."

"Who isn't?" she responded with a smile as she sat down next to Jane.

"You switched out of our uniform I see. I must say I'm hurt." During Jane and Emma's tenure as Bonple volunteers, Uszka had gotten a hold of extra tank jackets for them to use. They had been comfortable, Jane had to admit, and the cape gave some real style that St. Gloriana's jackets sorely lacked. But, after napping and taking a shower following the harrowing battle, both her and Emma had switched back to their regular school uniforms.

"I'm afraid so. I apologize if I've given offense,but I shall return the uniform to you at earliest convenience. It was very comfortable, and both I and Rosehip thank you for borrowing us them."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just messing with you OP." The unfortunate nickname Uszka had given Jane reared its ugly head once more, as she gave her a friendly pat on the back. As Jane glared at Uszka, she continued."Noone here has ever been in a battle like that. Most probably never will again."

"Maybe. The federation sure won't organize anything like this again. 'Though it seems Lady Darjeeling is keen on organizing another cauldron in the future." Jane decided to let the nickname-issue slip for this time, and merely kept up the conversation. "I hope she does. I learned a lot commanding the Chindits, and even more by serving with Jajka and Shizuka."

"Hey!" Uszka exclaimed with feigned annoyance.

"And by serving with you, Uszka," Jane acquiesced.

"That's more like it. But anyways, I hope she does. If there is another cauldron, you can be sure that Bonple will answer the call. And it's not like you'll need to twist arms to get the 'Centipedes' to sign up."

"That's true. I doubt anyone here ever had this much fun doing tankery. This was the first time I truly understood what Miho went through, and what she had built for herself."

"Ooarai was a sight to behold in the tournament this summer," Uszka said as she leaned forward, before continuing. "Hey, you're besties with Rosehip, right?" The girl switched subjects as if it was easier than breathing.

"I… suppose. Why do you ask?" Jane answered with nervous suspicion.

"Do you know if she… you know?" Uszka looked at Jane and squirmed a bit instead of finishing her question.

"If she what?" She did not like where this conversation was heading.

"You know. What team does she play for?" Uszka tried switching to innuendo as her original question hadn't gotten through.

"Last I checked, St. Gloriana, with a side-gig for the Chindits." Unless Uszka asked her intended question plainly, Jane intended to go on as if she did not know what she was talking about.

"You know what I mean." Uszka looked at Jane inquisitively, but Jane kept up her confused facade.

"I don't know that I do," she lied.

"Ugh, fine. I guess I'll just ask. Do you know if she's gay? She's really cute and funny."

"Oh," Jane feigned surprise at the question. As she had suspected through most of the cauldron, Uszka was attracted to her friend. "Honestly, I don't know. She never had a boyfriend in middle school, but she never had a girlfriend either. She never enjoyed talking about boys or girls either, so I'm not sure. What I do know is that she's currently head-over-heels for someone."

"Oh, tellmetellmetellme! Pleasepleaseplease! I have to know. Give me every detail! I swear I won't tell anyone else!" Jane was not used to talking with someone so openly interested in someone else's private life, and so hesitated for a second. In the end though, she decided that she would make use of this opportunity to talk about the farcical love between Assam and Emma, and it had been extra annoying to witness during the last few weeks since Charles had been on the _Ark Royal_ in a failed attempt to knock some sense into the two. So against her better judgement, she began to rabble off the many ups and downs in their affections.

* * *

"Wow." Uszka could only look at Jane in disbelief once her tale was done.

"Yep."

"And they've been like this for six months?"

"More or less. Assam probably noticed a few weeks later than Rosehip, but more or less."

"That has to be…"

"Annoying?" Jane interrupted.

"Yeah" Uszka leaned back against their table and stared at the ceiling for a minute, before once again switching subjects. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you this. Why tea?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do all the girls at St. Gloriana call each other by names of tea? Assam, Rosehip, Darjeeling and the like? Doesn't it get hard to keep track off?"

"Well, it's not everyone. It's pretty much only officers and staff in the sensha-do team. The rest of the school just plays along really."

"But still, why tea? There are so many British things you could have gone with, and you chose tea?"

"Well, according to legend it was because of when the Sensha-Do team was first founded. The original members…"

Her explanation was interrupted by Emma almost tackling her to the ground, wrapping her arms around her as she leaned on her.

"Heeeeeeeeey!" Emma said with a groggy drawl of her words. "Oran… Oran… Oranjy Pe… Oranjy Pekk… OP! I love you so much OP. You're always so… so… hic… so nice to me." Emma's sudden drawl, lack of balance and bubbly attitude left no doubt in Jane's mind that Emma was drunk. The question was how she had reached this state.

"Emma!" she exclaimed as she tried to push her friend off of herself. "Are you drunk?" she asked even though the answer was clear as day. "Where did you get alcohol? Did Shizuka give it to you? I swear I'll tear out that samurai mad-woman's spine…"

"Naaah… Nananopelynope…" she blurted out as Jane with Uszka's help got her to stand for herself. Even if she was incredibly wobbly.

"So where did you get it?" Emma didn't reply, but just looked around the room with glee in her eyes. Until Jane snapped her fingers a few times to regain Emma's attention, it was as if she hadn't even heard the question.

"Huh? So… sorrywhat?"

"Where. Did you get. The alcohol?" At this point Jane realized she needed to use small words, and enunciate every single one clearly to get anything resembling an answer.

"I… hic… I dunno. I haven't had any alkerholl. _hic_..."

"Alright then," Jane said to herself as she took a deep breath. Her eyes darted back and forth between keeping an eye on her drunk friend and glaring at Uszka next to her, who was failing spectacularly at not giggling at the situation. "Then where were you? Before you came here?"

"I think I was in France…"

"Don't be ridiculous. You've never even been to France, and you sure as hell haven't been there tonight."

"No I was... _hic..._ I was in France," Emma said defiantly as she stomped her foot, nearly losing what little balance she had in the process. "I was in France. There were pretty girls, and they were all speaking french. That's what France is like, right?. At least, I think it was french. Isn't french funny? It's like Japanese, but they don't have any Japanese words. I wonder if it's because they couldn't afford any. Hey, do you think I could give my Japanese to France?"

"No, you can't Emma," Jane said as she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Go back to where you were before." She sighed to herself before continuing. "What more do you remember about 'France'?"

"There was this really pretty blonde lady... I think she was the queen... She must have been the queen, 'cause there were these two girls fighting about who would get to be nice to her, and queens are the only people who have that... So she must have been the queen right? She gave me this really nice cake... Hey, have you eaten cake OP? It's so good. It's like bread, but with stuff on it. Except not like a sandwich... Like really good stuff... But not marmalade... Why don't they have marmalade on cake? Cake is so good... And marmalade is so good... So if you put marmalade on cake...it'd be really-really-really-super-duper-good right? I wonder if they'll let me put marmalade on cake back on the boat?"

"Anything else, besides cake?" Jane definitely wasn't getting less annoyed with her as her rambling continued.

"The queen's friend had a box of some other stuff that was really good... It wasn't as good as marmalade though... They were these tiny brown things... And they kinda melted in your hand if you didn't eat them right away."

"Chocolates?"

"No, not chocolates OP... You're so silly… Why would anyone bring chocolates to a party? No, they were small brown things made of chocos... and they like... broke when you bit them... And they had water in them... Except it wasn't like water... It was water that tasted funny... I think the queen said they were called… uhm… what was it… uhm… lickers? That was it! Licker-Prallers. They were so good... Almost as good as marmalade... Why isn't there any marmalade here? It's so good... you should be able to get it everywhere... Hang on... I'll go ask Kay... Maybe she has some..." Emma stumbled as she tried to get back up.

"No, you won't go asking Kay about anything." Jane raised her voice slightly as she pushed Emma back down on the bench.

"But what if she has marmalade? Nevermind, I guess I can wait for the marmalade... But maybe there are more of those Licker-praller-thingies... They were so good... Hey, OP... do you want me to go get some for you too?" She stood up and stumbled out in front of Jane and Uszka.

"No, Emma, I don't want chocolates. And stop calling me OP." Emma just sat herself down on the ground and pouted at this. Although it was more of a pratfall than sitting down.

"Why not? I was just trying to be nice to you, OP... They were really good licker-praller-thingies. And they made you feel all funny afterwards…"

"Yeah, yeah, that's very nice…" Jane said absentmindedly as she scanned the party for where Emma would have gotten drunk, but soon realized what she had dismissed and returned her attention to Emma. "Wait, where did you say you got that chocolate?"

"What chocolate? I told you I haven't had any chocolate… Chocolate isn't as good as marmalade anyways..."

"The licker-prallers," Jane said with a defeated sigh. "Where did you get the licker-prallers?"

"Oooooh! It was the queen's friend... The other pretty blonde lady… Her friends kept fighting with each other, but she was really nice to me... She even made the queen give me cake! Did I tell you about the cake? It was kinda like bread, but with stuff on. But not like a sandwich..." Emma started repeating herself with a chipper tone, blissfully unaware at the anger in Jane's eyes. At this point all patience had fled from Jane's mind, and she grabbed her friend by the shoulders in a final attempt at answers.

"What blonde lady? Where?" Emma slowly raised an arm and pointed to a table behind Jane and Uszka. As they turned around and followed her finger, they saw that Emma was pointing to a table where about a half-dozen girls in BC-Freedom academy uniforms were seated, and sure enough, among them was a small girl with long blonde hair, eating cake.

"Can you keep an eye on her while I go ask the frogs some questions?" Jane said to Uszka with a pleading voice. Not that she seemed inclined to say no. By this point Emma was sitting collapsed on the ground, clinging to one of Uszka's legs while she received plentiful headpats from her, as well as liberal exclamations on how adorable she was.

"Sure," she replied with a smile, "But if you don't mind, could I keep her after this? She would be so cute to have around back at Bonple. Yes you would!" Jane hadn't even begun to walk over to the BC-Freedom table before Uszka had returned to coddling Emma. As Jane made her way across the tent she could still hear Emma behind her. "Where did OP go? I was going to give her a kiss for being so sweet... Then maybe she'd give me some marmalade." Jane just shook her head as she strode over to the table.

* * *

At the table sat the short blonde Emma had pointed out, currently feasting on a slice of cake. From the many small plates stacked beside her this was clearly not her first of the night. Beside her sat an older girl with short hair in full tankery uniform that Jane recognized as Asparagus, BC-Freedom's former commander and Darjeeling's chosen CFO for the tournament. Across from them both sat a girl around Asparagus age with short stripy hair that was black as a raven, and two girls who seemed more like bitter foes than school-mates, one black-haired and tanned, one blonde and pale. Although as she listened to their bickering, she had a hard time figuring out if they were fighting or flirting.

"Excuse me," she said and bowed politely to the short blonde, "My friend appears to have become drunk, and it seems she became so at your table. She's about this tall," she held her hand roughly at Emma's height, "and has pinkish hair and a happy attitude. Did you perhaps give her some alcohol?"

"Hey, who do you think you are huh?"

"Yeah, no one accuses lady Marie of something so baseless and gets away with it!"

The two girls who had up until then been preoccupied with fighting and/or flirting turned and glared at her. "So her name's Marie huh?" Jane thought to herself. "Oh, no, I wasn't accusing you of anything," she said with a conciliatory tone. "I was merely asking. Perhaps you gave her some by mistake…" she started to explain before she was interrupted again.

"Are you saying lady Marie would make a mistake, huh? Are you?"

"Lady Marie is nothing but an icon of elegance and perfection, you St. Gloriana-brat! Not like your commoner leader Darjeeling!" At this point both of the girls were doing their absolute best to start a fight, having turned their sharp tongues on Jane instead of each other, their words full of disdain for her school.

"You St. Gloriana-girls all think you're so much better than the rest of us. With your tea and your stuck-up attitudes."

"Yeah, in reality you're all moronic tea-drinkers every last one of you. Your mothers were all hamsters, and your fathers' all smelt of elderberries." The verbal onslaught continued, but was interrupted just as Jane was losing her composure.

"That's enough you two!" Asparagus bellowed at the girls, before turning to Jane. "I apologize for my kouhai. BC-Freedom sadly doesn't teach manners anywhere near as well as St. Gloriana does." Jane simply bowed and refuted the need for an apology, even if she did appreciate it. "But yes, we did have your friend over here. Fascinating girl. Had some real gusto. She ate all our Liqueur pralines, so I'm not surprised she's drunk." Jane opened her mouth to ask how they could let her, but Marie piped up before she could speak.

"We tried to tell her not to eat too many, but she just kept eating. I think she didn't realize there was liqueur in them, and only ate as if they were pure chocolate. It's a shame that some people can't stop partaking in sweets when they should."

"You're one to talk," Jane thought to herself and glanced at the dozen plates stacked in front of Marie. "Oh well, thank you for letting me know at least. Enjoy the rest of the evening."

"The same to you," Asparagus said and raised a bottle of soda in a faux toast. Jane responded by lifting her empty hand, pretending to grasp a drink she didn't have.

* * *

When Jane returned to her companions, she didn't quite know how to handle what she saw. Emma was still clinging to Uszka, who still held a satisfied smile on her face. Except now Emma was sitting in her lap, and was busy giggling about some other fresh nonsense.

"Hey, Uszka? Why is marmalade so fun to say? It just sounds so silly. Hey, you know something else that sounds silly? Desu wa? Desu wa, desu wa, desu wa…" By this point Emma broke out into full on laughter at her own idiocy. Jane simply raised an eyebrow when Uszka met her gaze.

"I thought she was cute before, but now I might just keep her," she said with feigned innocence.

"Could you maybe try to not make a move on my best friend when she's drunk? It's one, really not helping, and two, taking advantage of her."

"Are you going to stop me?"

"I'm going to have to," she said, and tapped Emma on the shoulder. "Hey, Emma?" Emma slowly turned and looked at Jane with unfocused eyes, before slowly recognizing her.

"OP," she said in a low voice. "You came back to me!" She tried her best to lean up and give Jane a kiss, but underestimated the distance involved, so she just ended up falling back down on the ground. "Did you find any more of those licker prallers?"

"No, I think you've had enough pralines for a lifetime." Emma's drowsy smile started to turn into a frown.

"But I want more licker-prallers... They were so yummy... What about marmalade? Can you please go find some?"

Jane sighed to herself. "No, Emma. But here, drink this," she said as she handed her a new bottle of soda. Perhaps something without excessive alcohol would lessen the headache once she recovered. Emma took the bottle and started to drink through the straw jane had placed in it. Before either Uszka or Jane could stop her however, she also simultaneously started to lift and tilt the bottle as if she was drinking straight from it. Unsurprisingly, the contents spilled all over her. Getting Emma sober was clearly not going to happen tonight. As they both bent down to help Emma dry herself off, Jane looked around the party, and got an idea. She would have to remember to apologize to Naomi for this later.

"Hey, Emma, look!" she said and pointed to one of the corners of the tent. Emma however, was only trying to focus on Jane's finger instead of where it was pointing. After about a minute of prodding and turning of Emma, her gaze finally landed where Jane had been pointing. In the corner stood Naomi, Saunders' top marksman, and Assam, her equivalent at St. Gloriana, chatting away in a friendly manner. Except that wasn't how it looked. Naomi's height usually meant she ended up leaning over anyone she spoke to, which made it seem like she was either bullying or flirting with them. This was to be the lynchpin in Jane's plan. "You see that? It's Assam-Senpai."

"Assam-Senpai…" Emma said to herself with a calm voice, as if she was dropping into a warm bath as she said it. "Hey, OP. Isn't it funny how all our names are the same as tea? That's such a coinci… co-in… hic… coincidence. Hey, do you think Darjeeling knows about it? Maybe I should go tell her. It would be silly if we showed up to a match and someone realized. Maybe they would start calling us the 'tea time'. Or maybe since it's after school they would call us 'Afterschool tea time'. That almost sounds like a band name. Hey OP, we should start a band.."

"No we shouldn't," Jane interrupted before Emma lost too much focus. "Do you see Naomi standing next to Assam-Senpai?" Emma pushed her head forward and squinted in a vain attempt to focus, but soon nodded. "She's been flirting with Assam-Senpai all-night. I think she's trying to steal her away from you. You'd better go over there and protect her." Emma's face soon turned from one of calm and adoration to one of anger and determination, and as Uszka and Jane helped her to her feet, she started mumbling to herself. Even if Jane could hear what she was saying, she doubted she'd understand it, but still, after Emma had taken a few seconds to find her balance, or what little of it she had left, she started stumbling over towards Naomi and Assam.

"Oh, so when I try to make a move on her while she's drunk, it's 'taking advantage of her' but when you trick her into fighting a girl two years her senior and a head taller it's 'all fair'?" Uszka said to Jane as they watched her stumble away.

"Yeah, that may have been hypocritical of me, but I have been listening to her fawn over Assam for 6 months now without making a move, and I'll be damned if I have to listen to her lamenting never making one for the next two years."

* * *

Elinor and Naomi had only been talking when it happened. But happened, it did. Their conversation was interrupted by a mumbling and clearly drunk Rosehip, stumbling towards them and doing a pathetic attempt at headbutting Naomi, and instead ended up just standing there with her forehead against the Saunders-girl's stomach.

"Hey! Hehehey, hey. What do you think you're doing, huh?" Rosehip said as she flailed an accusatory finger in Naomi's face. Naomi for her part just looked down on the pink-haired girl with stunned curiosity. Once Elinor overcame her shock, she grabbed Rosehip by the shoulders and pulled her back to a more stable standing position. She was still wobbly and stumbling, but at least she wasn't leaning straight into Naomi's stomach.

"I'm, uh, I'm talking with a friend?" Naomi responded. She wasn't entirely sure what she was being accused of, but looked forward to whatever was about to happen. At the very least it would be entertaining.

"Talking huh? Don't think you can't trick me, missus, no sir-re, no you can't not." Elinor did her best to keep up with the amount of double negatives, but lost track half-way through. "I've seen you around here. You….You Saunders girls...You just think you can go around, taking whatever you want, even when it….hic….rightfully belongs to someone else." Naomi just looked at Elinor with a confused smile.

"What have I taken? Did I use a napkin that was yours perhaps?" Naomi said dryly.

"Her!" Rosehip yelled and pointed behind her. She wasn't actually pointing at anyone, but the energy was clear.

"Who?" Confused, Rosehip turned around, just barely keeping her balance, and looked at the great big nothing behind her. Seeing there was no one where she had been pointing, she blinked a few times, and squinted as she turned her head.

"Her!" she yelled once again as she pointed to Elinor, who was now more confused than anyone.

"Rosehip, what are you talking abou…"

"Don't worry 'sam. I'll deal with this brute here."

"Should I go?" Naomi asked Elinor, not even acknowledging Rosehip in front of her.

"No, don't worry about it Naomi. Just give me a second and I'll deal with he…"

"You… you've been standing here talking up my girl all night... Huh? You calling me a liar? You saying you weren't trying to flirt with her? Her, the beautiful, perfect, smart, funny, cute angel right there? You saying you weren't flirting with the girl I love? Huh? I'll show you!" Rosehip pulled her fist back to punch Naomi right in the stomach, but the older girl merely took a step back as the swing came, leading Rosehip to throw herself around 360 degrees, and collapsing on the floor.

"I knew you were popular Elinor, but this was unexpected." Naomi said as she stepped back to where she had been standing. Between her and Elinor Rosehip was slowly trying to get up on her hands and knees.

"I'll… I'll show you yankee-scum what us brits are… hic… made of…" she started to say, before vomiting on the grass below her, and collapsing to the side.

"Rosehip?" Elinor said with concern. "Are you… Are you ok?"

"I'm fi… bleurghh…" another round of vomiting interrupted her.

"Should I get a medic?" Naomi asked.

"No, I'll deal with it. But thanks anyway. Enjoy the rest of the evening," Elinor said to Naomi as she pulled out a handkerchief and knelt down to wipe Rosehips mouth clean. Thankfully she seemed to mostly been taking in fluids all night, so there wasn't too much half-digested food to clear up.

"You idiot," she said to herself as she put the handkerchief back in her pocket, and lifted Rosehip onto her back.

* * *

Not knowing where Rosehip had been camping, she carried her to her own tent, and helped the by this point half-asleep rosehip out of her dirty clothes before tucking her into the bed. Being one of St. Gloriana's vice commanders, and part of Darjeelings team at the cauldron, meant she had access to a spare command tent to sleep in, with actual floorboards inside and a king-sized bed. After she had cleaned the worst off of Rosehip's clothes, she sat herself down beside her now sleeping kouhai, and looked at her. She still wasn't entirely sure about what Charles had told her. Was she really in love with the cute sleeping girl in front of her? No, of course not. She just wanted to protect her and keep her safe. It wasn't as if she was only looking out for her because she was in love. Right? She poked Rosehip's cheek and was met by a pleasant squishy feeling.

"You idiot, why do you have to be so cute," she said to herself in a low voice, not wanting to wake Rosehip. "Why do you have to be in my thoughts all the time? And now this? Basically confessing to me in front of a party of several hundred people? Why couldn't you just be like the other kouhai? Then I wouldn't have to worry about you all the time." As she kept staring at Rosehip she felt warm inside, but couldn't explain why. As she lifted her gaze a few degrees, a new issue appeared before her. "And where do you think I'm going to sleep now?" she sighed to herself, and began pacing as she thought the problem through. The entire camp-ground was filled to capacity and beyond with tents, so she couldn't set up her spare and sleep there. She hadn't brought a couch to her tent, so that was out of the question. She couldn't go and ask Darjeeling to sleep on her couch, for risk of interrupting her and Kay's...debrief. It was miles to the nearest hotel, and even if she did have the money to rent a room, she didn't have a way to get there. As she paced back and forth in the room, her view kept returning to the massive bed in the corner, and the relatively tiny area Rosehip took up on it. After several more minutes of pacing and rejected ideas, she caved. "This is simply the most logical solution," she sighed and said to herself in a vain attempt to justify her actions.

She got out of her school uniform, and carefully climbed over Rosehip and tucked herself beneath what little remained of the covers. As she turned and fidgeted to get in a comfortable sleeping position, the one thing she didn't want to happen, happened.

"A...Assam-Senpai?" Rosehip's weak voice rang out.

"Ro...Rosehip," Elinor replied in a panic as her eyes met the now awake Rosehip's. "I was just… uhm… You see, this was just the only option…" Her protests were interrupted by Rosehip embracing her with both arms, and pulling her in close.

"What… what are you doing?" Elinor's panic was only increasing by the second.

"Shh… don't worry. This is all a dream anyways. You'd never end up in the same bed as me in real life right? I'm to cowardly to tell you how I feel, and the real you hates me. But this is just a dream, a dream where I can do this." Rosehip replied as she gave Elinor a kiss.

* * *

When Jane saw Emma at the bottom of the _Ark Royal's_ gangplank the following day, she excitedly rushed over to her friend and threw herself around her.

"Hey Emma!"

"Ow, could you maybe use your inside voice? My head is absolutely killing me," Emma moaned in response as she massaged her temples. She was clearly hungover, walking slowly across the dock and shying away from as much sunlight as possible. Jane didn't care.

"So, how did it go?" Jane asked excitedly. Her plan had gone off without a hitch. Assam had carried Emma away last night, so she was hoping to hear every juicy detail of what had happened between the two.

"What?" Emma responded with a confused look. "How did what go?"

"You know…" Jane prodded with flickering eyelids.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, I'm super-mega curious. Did you confess? Did you kiss? Did you…"

"What? What are you talking about?!"

"Really? You're not going to tell me anything? Even though I told you everything about what happened when me and Charles first went out?"

"Orange Pekoe, first of all, that was kind of gross. I never wanted that kind of info on my brother. Secondly, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"You and Assam-Senpai? What happened?"

"I haven't talked with Assam-Senpai since before the Cauldron. You need to explain what you're talking about, because I'm getting more and more lost by the second."

"Last night? You got super-drunk on pralines and made a move on Assam-senpai?

"I did what now?"

"You picked a fight with Naomi-Senpai from Saunders? That is, before you threw up and Assam-Senpai carried you away to her tent?"

"SHE DID WHAT?"

"Jeeze, how drunk were you last night? You're telling me you don't remember any of this?"

"The last thing I remember from last night is Jajka and Shizuka fighting over who would get to challenge Ooarai. The next thing I know I woke up in a tent all alone when the sun shone in this morning." Emma froze as the realization hit her, her cheeks immediately turning crimson-red. "And now… now you're telling me that was... Assam-Senpai's tent?"

* * *

"So you're telling me you don't remember anything from last night?" Jane had kept prying at Emma's memories as they walked the halls of the _Ark Royal_ , but nothing had come of it.

"Yes, as I keep telling you. I woke up in a tent this morning, lying in a bed all alone, and my clothes were lying neatly folded on a chair."

"Well, sounds like something happened at least," Jane said with a dry smile.

"Don't joke about this stuff Orange Pekoe!" Emma yelled at her in despair, her face turning redder by the minute. "I must have made such a fool of myself. Now Assam-Senpai hates me for sure."

"Now, now. I'm sure she doesn't hate you," Jane said in an attempt to calm her friend. "See, there's Assam-Senpai now. We'll just go up to her and explain what happened. Assam-Senpai! Wait up!" Jane didn't even wait for Emma to protest before calling out to Assam who was passing by at the end of the hallway. She looked up from the book she had been reading, saw them waving at her, then promptly turned on the spot, and walked away in the other direction.

"See. I told you she hates me," Emma said with a depressed sigh.

But Emma could not see the red cheeks of embarrassment Assam was hiding behind her book as she turned and ran, for she both knew and remembered what had happened last night.


	8. The Fast and The Studious Part 3: Of Mechanics and Mending wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane, Emma and Assam go into the bowels of the Ark Royal to help out the team mechanics. Perhaps something will lead to Assam and Emma dealing with the awkward atmosphere between them?

**Of Mechanics and Mending Wounds**

_**The Fast and the Studious: Part 3** _

* * *

Jane was sitting in the commander's study with Assam and Lady Darjeeling for their monthly meeting, where they planned the coming months training for the Sensha-Do team, as well as discussed any upcoming exhibition matches or tournaments. The last one had been just before The Cauldron, and had had none of the tension that hung in the air this afternoon. Assam barely touched her tea, and both Jane and Darjeeling had to call her attention back to the meeting several times when it became obvious she had been spacing out. After a meeting which usually would have been done in half the time, they could finally finish it up and head to the dining hall.

"Oh, and one more thing," Darjeeling said as she snapped her fingers, obviously remembering something. "Our mechanics have been a bit understaffed recently, and they have asked that I send some help from the team. Would you two be so kind as to go provide them some aid tomorrow morning?" She looked at both her Vice-commanders with a look that made it clear that this was not a request, but an order.

"Alright. I've got nothing planned," Jane said as she clasped her bag shut and rose from the table.

"Neither do I, so I suppose I'll go," Assam said absentmindedly, not spotting the trap the commander was about to unleash upon her.

"Excellent," Darjeeling said with a delighted smirk. "And inform Rosehip she will be joining you." A look of panic spread across Assam's face upon hearing these words.

"What?!" she exclaimed, her cheeks turning crimson at the mere mention of the name.. "Act...actually, I just remembered; I'm super-busy tomorrow. I have uhm… homework! That's it! Homework. I'm completely swamped, I've got weeks of it left to do. I'm super sorry to miss this. Perhaps Rukuriri could help inste…"

"Assam, we both know you have no homework needing your attention. I don't care how awkward it is for you, but you need to deal with Rosehip and talk things through sooner or later. Your avoiding her is bringing down team morale, so I don't give a damn what you did after carrying her to your tent. You will go be of service to the mechanics tomorrow, and so help me god, you will deal with whatever's going on between you and Rosehip. Am I clear?"

Assam looked to Jane with a pleading look for help, but she could do nothing. After a few seconds of racking her brain in a vain attempt to find an excuse, Assam bowed her head and conceded the point. "Yes Commander," and they both left the study to head for dinner. Darjeeling got her meal served in her quarters as usual.

* * *

As they made their way down the corridor, Assam put a hand on Jane's shoulder.

"Jane," she said, immediately putting Jane's nerves on edge. Assam never called her kouhai by their given names. She never even called the commander by her given name, despite having known each other since well before St. Gloriana. "How did Elizabeth know I carried Rosehip away to my tent that night?" She turned her colleague to face her and pushed her against the wall.

Now it was Jane's turn to panic. "Maybe she saw the commotion when Rosehip tried to fight Naomi?" she lied, hoping that Assam wouldn't notice.

"I don't think so. Considering that you and I both know she had already left the party with Kay when that happened, and was quite busy causing a different kind of ruckus." At this point Assam was glaring at Jane with a gaze cold enough to freeze water, and sharp enough to cut through bone. "So I ask again. How did she know I was with Rosehip that night?"

"Uhm...God moves in a mysterious way?" Jane replied. Perhaps this would be enough to save her.

"Let me make one thing _perfectly_ clear. Elizabeth is _not_ God. Ok?" Assam growled through gritted teeth as Jane looked at Assam with frightened eyes. Darjeeling had given her a direct order to tell her what had happened at the afterparty after she had left. The commander's suspicions had been raised when Assam began avoiding any form of contact with Emma, and even though no one knew exactly what had happened, it was clear that _something_ had occurred. But perhaps Jane should have just kept her mouth shut about that particular detail, and she most likely would have if she had known she would make an enemy out of Assam.

"Will you tell her, or shall I?" Perhaps a joke at Darjeeling's expense would lower tensions between the two vice-commanders.

"I've tried," Assam said in an exhausted grumble as she let Jane go, and strode off towards her room. "I've damn well tried."

"Aren't you going to eat dinner?" Jane asked with concern.

"No. I seem to have lost my appetite…" Assam replied as she rounded the corner and disappeared.

* * *

"This is gonna be so cool, Orange Pekoe!" Emma said as the two left the breakfast table and walked towards the Sensha-Do teams garage. "I've never been to Q-branch. I wonder what it's like?"

"Neither have I, though I've heard it's a sight to behold," Jane responded as she pressed the button that called the elevator to 'Q-branch', the repair and maintenance-department for the team's tanks. While she had never visited the department herself, she had heard rumours and stories of the massive complex of facilities that lay beneath the deck of the _Ark Royal_. As the elevator arrived, they both stepped inside, and let it take them below deck.

"I wonder if they're impressed by the work I put into the _Defiance_. Ripping out that speed inhibitor upped the performance by like 15 percent. I wonder why they even put it in there. Remind me to ask about that. For some reason it's always back on the engine whenever I take a look at it." Emma was as giddy as a child on her way to a toy store. For as long as Jane had known her she had been fascinated by engines and all things mechanical, so it was no surprise that she started messing around with the _Defiance_ the moment she was given command of her.

"I'll do my best to keep that in mind," Jane said with a sigh as the elevator came to a halt, and they stepped out into the main hall of Q-branch. The roof of the facility was easily 30 feet off the floor, with a massive crane set up to run the width of the hall. A large cargo-elevator was set up in one corner to transport tanks whose maintenance was completed back up to the teams garage, and at the end where Jane and Emma had stepped off the elevator was a doorway leading to another large hall, with shelving all throughout, and a counter by the door. Not having visited the facility before, they looked at each other and shrugged, before walking over to the counter in the neighboring hall. Jane plinged the small bell that stood atop it, before taking a step back and taking in her surroundings.

"This place really is huge…" she said in awe to Emma.

"Yeah. There must be thousands of parts here. Just imagine the modifications you could do with all of these…" Jane could barely keep from smiling upon seeing Emma's wide-eyed joy, but they were interrupted by a voice from behind a door on their right.

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses. I'm coming, I'm coming." A tall woman with long white braided hair stepped out from behind the door, which swung back and forth on springs for a few seconds before closing. Her appearance was contradictory to say the least. She could be in her mid 20s, but she could just as easily be near-, or past retirement age. She was dressed in a navy-blue set of overalls with rolled up sleeves, even though the color was near indistinguishable from the many stains covering it, had slightly tanned skin, freckles, as well as a large, rather hideous-looking scar running across the right side of her face. In her belt sat a myriad of tools, and out of the top of one pocket, a strange-looking notebook peeked out. At first she didn't even notice the two visitors, as she was busy wiping some oil off of her hands on a dirty handkerchief.

Even though she had never met the woman herself, Jane instantly knew who she was. This was the infamous 'Q', the Sensha-Do team's faculty advisor, and head mechanic. Information on her was scarce at best. Her age, her real name, almost everything about her was a mystery, but that didn't stop rumours and legends from spreading. If anything, the lack of confirmed information made them grow wilder. According to some, she had been one of the original founders of the schools Sensha-Do team back in her student days. According to others, she had been a secret agent in the employ of MI6 during the Cold War. Some said she was a failed clone of a former head of the Shimada-family. Some others even claimed she was secretly the head of MEXT herself, working from within to support, or sabotage St. Gloriana's survival as a school-carrier. The story changed no matter who you asked.

Both Jane and Emma turned to face 'Q', clacked their heels and saluted.

"Ma'am!" they said in unison.

"Orange Pekoe, of the _Victory_ , Loader, and Vice-commander to the Lady Darjeeling; reporting."

"Rosehip, of the _Defiance_ , Commande-OW!" Emma didn't even have time to finish her introduction before 'Q' whacked her over the head with a wrench she had had stashed in her belt.

"Oh, I know who you are. You're the maniac who keeps messing with my machines." Jane did her best to stifle a laugh, which became easier when the wrench suddenly fell on her own head. "As you were," she added absentmindedly, as if it was an afterthought to let them relax.

"Ouch," Jane said and put a hand on where the wrench had hit. "What did I do? I never touch the mechanics of the tanks. I just load them."

"That may be, but as a member of the team, you shouldn't laugh at your comrades misfortune," 'Q' replied as she twirled the wrench around her hand and returned it to her belt.

"What do you mean 'your' machines?" Emma yelled in protest. "The tanks belong to the team, and more specifically are under their commander's care."

"I don't care who the tanks belong to, or whose care they are under. As long as I'm advising this team, you do not fiddle with the internals, you hear?" 'Q' crossed her arms and looked down at Emma, her protests falling on deaf ears.

"If I'm not allowed to fiddle with them, at least don't mess them up yourself," Emma continued, not recognizing her ever weakening position. "I've had to rip out the speed limiter at least a half-dozen times by now, and the _Defiance_ is the fastest tank on the team once you do. Perhaps the fastest in the federation..."

"Do you even know why we put that in there?"

"Uhm...To slow the tank down?" Emma threw a glance at Jane, who could only shrug. She only loaded the rounds, she didn't know what made the tanks tick.

" _It is there_ to keep the engine from exploding, you dimwitted speedster." 'Q' said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "And you, Missy, are extraordinarily lucky that it hasn't, the way you run about all over the battlefield. A point-blank shot from a Maus wouldn't cause anything near the damage and dents the _Defiance_ has come back with after you've brought her out."

"Well that's just because…" Emma tried to defend herself from 'Q's verbal onslaught, but to no avail. At this point the wrench was back out, and 'Q' was busy waving it in Emma's face in an accusatory fashion.

"So I suggest you and your speed-freak buddies in the 'automotive club' keep your prickly little fingers out of my machines, and _maybe_ you'll live to see graduation." The way she uttered the words 'automotive club' made it self-evident that she neither acknowledged nor respected the still rather unofficial club, or it's members. "That is unless I kill you myself, which I very well might if you keep bringing tanks back in that condition." 'Q' took her wrench and pointed out into the main hall with it where the _Superb_ , the tetrarch Emma had commanded during the Cauldron, passed by in a sorry state; her tracks misaligned, and still covered in both dents and scratches from enemy fire. " _Capiche_?"

"Understood Ma'am," Emma mumbled as she pouted and looked away to avoid Q's glare. Luckily for Emma, a new target of 'Q's ire appeared in the doorway.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Ma'am," Assam said as she walked into the room. "My apologies. Assam, of the _Victory_ , Gunner, and Vice-commander to the Lady Darjeeling; reporting." She too clacked her heels and saluted 'Q', but like Jane and Emma, was only rewarded with a knock on the head with the wrench.

"As Vice-commander you're expected to be punctual," 'Q' grumbled to herself,before turning and picking up a folder from the counter behind her and starting to flip through it. "As you were."

"Yes Ma'am," Assam replied as if nothing had happened, before lowering her hand and returning to a more casual stance. "What can we do to help you today?" As they waited for 'Q's reply, Assam and Emma kept trading glances, each becoming redder and redder in the face, and slowly stepping further and further away from each other.

"Me and the other girls can handle the repair-work fine, not that I'd ever let any of you amateurs anywhere near these machines," she said and looked up from the folder only to glare at Emma. "But I need you three to do some inventory, see what we have in store and what needs to be ordered." She closed the folder, and handed it to Assam. "Walk down that corridor, and you'll find the storeroom I need you to check out. It's the third door on the right." She didn't even wait for a reply before heading back through the same door she had appeared through.

"Ma'am!" the three said in unison and saluted once more, before making their way down the corridor 'Q' had pointed them down. Assam and Emma both made sure to keep Jane between them at all times, and to avoid eye contact at all costs.

* * *

As they reached the third door on the right as 'Q' had instructed, Assam handed the folder to Jane, pulled open the door, and the three entered, closing it behind them. Jane handed the folder back to Assam, who opened it and looked at the papers inside.

"Well, looks like we'll just have to get to work." she said and pulled out a sheet of paper from the folder before handing it to Jane. "I'll take a look at this side of the room, you take a look at that side." She said and walked over to some shelves, pulling out a pencil she had stored behind her ear as she spoke. Assam's blatant ignoring of Emma even put Jane on edge, but the two split the shelves between them and got to work. After a half hour or so, The silent work was interrupted.

"Psst," Emma whispered to Jane. "Hey! OP?!"

Jane sighed. "What is it, Emma? I'm trying to work here. And stop calling me OP."

"Why didn't you tell me Assam-Senpai was going to be here?"

"I did tell you, you just weren't listening. Besides, what does it matter?"

"It matters to me! I can't work in the same room as someone who hates me."

"For the last time, Assam doesn't hate you. Now get back to work so we can get out of here."

"Yes she does. She's been avoiding me for weeks, and she won't talk to me. If that isn't hating me, I don't know what is."

"Hating you is what Tokujira does," Jane thought to herself as she sighed and walked over towards the door.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" Emma said as she rushed to place herself between Jane and the door, grabbing Assam's attention as well. "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

"The atmosphere in here is killing me, and I can't work in it until you two," she gestured at Assam and Emma both, "deal with whatever this is all about. So in the meantime, I'll go ask 'Q' for something else to help out with." She ducked around Emma, and walked out the door, closing it behind her.

After the momentary confusion that Jane's leaving had caused, Emma and Assam looked at each other, before realizing their mistake and returning to their chore, cheeks crimson red. The work continued in silence for the next couple of hours, with neither of them saying a word, even if they both stole glances at the other.

* * *

"Hey, you done?" Elinor looked up from where she was sitting, leaning against a wall, to see Rosehip standing at her end of the room with the form they'd been filling out.

"Ye..yeah... I'm done." She couldn't look her kouhai in the eye, so instead she just stared at the wall opposite her.

"So…" Rosehip said with trepidation. "Should we get back to 'Q' and hand these in?"

"I...I guess." Why was she being so awkward? Why couldn't she look at her? Why was there a burning sensation in her cheeks? Why did she feel like she was about to throw up? Elinor had many questions, and she didn't have a clear answer to any of them. She glanced over at Rosehip who had walked over to the door.

"That's weird," Rosehip said with a quizzical tone.

"What is?"

"The door. It doesn't want to open."

This didn't seem right to Elinor. The door had been perfectly fine when they started their work. She got up from where she was sitting, and walked over to the door. Rosehip took a few steps back, careful not to make eye-contact. She had been right. Try as she might, Elinor couldn't get the door to budge. There was really only one explanation. One that didn't sit well with Elinor. Doors didn't just randomly become un-openable. Someone must have locked the door from the outside. Which meant they were trapped until someone noticed they were missing.

"Crap," Elinor swore under her breath. "Crap, crap, crap." She was an experienced tanker, so she didn't have an issue with enclosed spaces. What she did have an issue with was having to share it with Rosehip, the one person on earth she couldn't deal with as she did others.

"What's the matter?" Rosehip asked with concern and took a step forward, but backed off again as Elinor turned and sat herself down against the wall where she had been before.

"Isn't it obvious? We're locked in." Elinor just kept her gaze focused on the far wall in an attempt to not look at Rosehip.

"Oh," Rosehip replied. There was clearly something off about her as well.

"Yeah, we're going to be stuck here until Orange Pekoe comes back."

"Right. That's...that's fine I suppose."

"'That's fine'? What was this girl thinking?" Elinor thought. Through her mind raced a myriad of memories, flashing before her mind's eye one after the other. She wanted it to stop. There was Rosehip kissing her that night. Charles' visit and revelation. Rosehip being beaten up by Tokujira. She wanted it all to stop. Why couldn't she make it stop? The torrent in her mind wasn't letting itself be restrained to images. There was the feel of Rosehip's lips. The smell of her hair. The sound of her breathing. All of this and so much more, and Elinor couldn't make it stop.

"What's wrong with you!" she screamed out loud and grasped the side of her head.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I won't do it anymore." Rosehip said in a feeble voice. Elinor looked up with confusion in her eyes. She didn't understand. What did Rosehip mean? She wouldn't do what anymore? Had she been doing something? Was she talking about the kiss? Elinor did want her to not do it again. Right? That's what she wanted... For Rosehip to leave her alone... To not live rent-free in her mind. Right? She was so confused. She stood up and began pacing back and forth in the storage room. What did she want? What did she want Rosehip to do? What did she think about her? Question after question kept bombarding the walls of her mind. Sooner or later a crack would show itself, and when it did, she needed to be able to respond with answers. Answers were her mind's noble defenders. Any question could be slain by an answer. Answers made everything fit together. Made everything make sense. Answers were absolute, correct, and to the point. It was some of the many ways that answers were superior to feelings. Feelings were formless, strange, and easily bent out of shape. Feelings could never stand upon her walls, never stand before her gates in a glorious vanguard. Feelings only crumpled to dust. Answers were the only thing that could keep her safe. But ever since that spring-day where she had first had to deal with Rosehip, there was a question that was impervious to any answer she would send to face it. And now she had to deal with this monstrous enigma until help arrived.

Rosehip.

For months now, Elinor had sent answers, knights in shining armor, out from the palisades of her mind in an attempt to tame this beast. To bring it to heel. Each answer she sent to face it only returned broken and destroyed. And yet, the enigma remained, not even bloodied. Why could none of her defenders stand against this beast? How could it continue to send question after question to storm her walls? How did it time and time again find ways past her defenses, infiltrating her mind with image after image after image of Rosehip? And how had it set a burning fire behind her walls, slowly making its way through her mind, demolishing all it touched until only the phantom images of Rosehip remained. She kept on pacing, walking back and forth beside an imaginary command table in a great hall, knights and commanders that all bore her face standing at attention around her.

"What are your orders, your majesty?" a commander asked.

"I don't know," Elinor responded.

"How shall we vanquish this beast?" asked another mirror image in knights armor

"I don't know," Elinor replied again.

"How do we view Rosehip?"

"I don't know."

"How shall we face her?"

"I don't know."

"Do we want to be near her?"

"I don't know."

"Did we enjoy the kiss?"

"I don't know."

"Do we want her to kiss us again?"

"I don't know."

"Do we love her?"

"I don't know."

"Shall we tell her?"

"I don't know."

"It's been a while. Are we certain Orange Pekoe will come back?"

"I said: I DON'T KNOW." She turned to face her imaginary commanders, but they weren't there. Of course they weren't. The command room was never real. She had never spoken with knights bearing her face. Not for real at least. And while the majority of the conversation had been inside her mind, her final command hadn't been. As she looked at what was before her, she saw Rosehip. She had jumped back several feet and looked upon her in terror. Her commanders hadn't asked the final question. Neither had the answers, her stout defenders or loyal knights. It had been Rosehip. And she had responded by snapping at her with the fury of a kingdom under siege.

"Rosehip, I'm sorry. I…"

"N-no...It's fine…" Elinor may have been an idiot when it came to people, but even she could tell from looking at Rosehip that it was not fine. "I should just have left you alone...I should have just not been a bother…" Elinor took a step towards Rosehip, even if she still couldn't look her in the eye, but she only backed away.

"Rosehip, no...It wasn't your fault...It was never your fault." She tried to use as calm and comforting a voice as she could, but to no avail.

"No. It's my fault. You don't need to push yourself. I know you hate me." Rosehip also looked away, and seemed smaller than she usually did. But Elinor didn't understand. Why did Rosehip think she hated her? What had she done to give that impression?

"I don't hate you, Rosehip...I just…"

"No, you do. You hate me. Whenever I show up in your life I just make things worse. Why wouldn't you hate me?" Rosehip said angrily as she turned her back to Elinor, fists clenched. Elinor didn't know how she should react, or what she should do. Did she actually hate Rosehip? Was that why she couldn't get her out of her head? No. Many questions smashed against her walls, but this one was struck down quickly by one of her loyal protectors. She did not hate Rosehip.

"I don't hate you Rosehip," Elinor said in a determined voice as she slowly moved closer to Rosehip.

"Yes you do. Admit it." The question once again reared its ugly head, but once again it fell upon the blade of an answer.

"I _don't_ hate you!" Rosehip turned to face Elinor, and so she averted her eyes.

"Yes you do. You won't even look at me. You hate me!"

"I…" Her answer was lying wounded before her, and uncertainty returned. The question had struck one final blow. "I don't…"

"THEN WHY WON'T YOU LOOK AT ME!" Rosehip screamed at her and grabbed her by the wrists. At first Elinor still couldn't look at Rosehip, but after a few seconds, she did her best. She once again felt strange. But it was not the same sort of strange feeling she used to feel when she looked at Rosehip. Her cheeks were wet, hiding crimson shades behind rolling tears. Rosehip was crying as if there was no reason to save her tears. Elinor didn't know what to do. She had never known what to do. But her body seemed to know. She could feel tears start to roll down her own cheeks as well, and as she did, her body moved on it's own. She lunged, and embraced Rosehip with all her might, both of them collapsing to their knees.

"Emma..." she whispered through the tears, her head now resting on Emma's shoulder, just as Emma's now was doing on Elinor's. "I never hated you. And I'm so, so sorry that I made you think that."

"But…" Emma said through tears and sniffles, "Then why did you act like that? Why did you say I was an idiot? Why did you…"

"I don't know why. I don't know. I always thought I knew everything, and when it comes to you I know nothing, not even myself." Elinor leaned back and grabbed Emma by the shoulders, looking her straight in the eye. "And even if I was holding on to my sanity by the fingernails, you manage to push them right off. When you came up to me and Naomi that night, I couldn't believe what you said."

"I...I actually don't remember anything from that night. I just remember waking up in your tent the next day." Emma tried to look away in shame, but Elinor wouldn't let her. "You came up to us, and you tried to fight a girl two years older than you, over a foot taller than you, and far stronger than you. And the reason you gave, was that you loved me." Emma, who at this point had managed to stop crying and somewhat compose herself, turned red at this revelation. Elinor let her go, and she crawled over to the wall where she pulled her knees tightly against her chest and bowed her head in embarrassment.  
"I...Did I actually say that?" she said meekly.

"Yes," Elinor said. She decided she would keep Emma's full confession to herself for now, if nothing else to save her further embarrassment. "And I should have figured that out long before that. But, when it comes to people, I'm an even bigger idiot than you," she said with a caring voice as she sat down beside Emma. "Do you remember when you tackled Tokujira to the ground?"

"Which time?" Emma said with a voice that revealed she was expecting a lecture.

"The second time," Elinor chuckled. "Unless you've done it at times I wasn't around."

"I don't think so."

"The time she and her gang beat you up anyways."

"Yeah...I remember. I still have the scars to prove it."

"Well, after Charles had seen to it that you were alright, he actually came up to my room." Suddenly Emma's face reappeared.

"Wait what? He did? So you're…? And that means you're not... And does Jane know about this? That bastard… I'll kick his ass next time I see him. Going behind Jane's back, that two-timing, double-dealing basta…"

"No, no, no. You've got it all wrong. He's a good friend of mine."

"...I'll punch him so hard he'll wish he never…" Emma stopped herself and looked at Elinor, completely unable to grasp what she had said. "He's what?"

"We've known each other for years. I thought you knew."

"The hell I have. How can he go behind my back like that?" Elinor just laughed at Emma's reply.

"Anyways," she said as she calmed herself. "He came by and talked with me for a while. And he put the first crack in what I thought was my perfect view of how the world works. Ever since then, I've been feeling uneasy. I have been unsure of myself, I haven't been able to trust in my thoughts like I used to. And it didn't get any better when you came up to me that night."

"Right. I did that, didn't I?"

"You did, but the more I think about it, the more I think it was very sweet. And so when you collapsed and started throwing up, I decided to help you out."

"And I threw up as well?`God, I'm such a loser…"

"It was fine. And so I carried you to my tent and helped you get to bed. There's just something about you that makes me want to make sure you're always safe." Emma once again had her head bowed down in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"But then I realized that _I_ had nowhere to sleep. And after a bunch of pacing back and forth, trying to figure out a solution, I ended up getting into the bed next to you." At this point both Elinor and Assam's faces were redder than St. Gloriana's tank jackets. "I thought you were asleep, so I didn't see the harm as long as I got up before you… Problem is… you weren't asleep. Or at least not entirely. You grabbed me and kissed me, convinced it was all a dream…"

"Wait...Hang on, stop the presses, hold the phone, retreat and reverse…" Emma scooched a foot or so away from Elinor as she gesticulated in a wild panic. "Are you telling me that I...that we…"

"No, No god no." now it was Elinor's turn to panic. "You kissed me, and then you just collapsed and fell asleep. I didn't really understand what had happened… and so I didn't sleep at all that night. I got out of the bed immediately to make sure you got some rest, and just took a walk all through the night. I tried to clear my head, to figure out what I was feeling, but I couldn't. I tried to figure out why I couldn't stop thinking about you, why I reacted to the kiss like I did, why I did everything the way I did, and I still don't quite have an answer. Ever since then, I've been avoiding you because I have no idea how I should deal with you, with us, with what happened… I thought you were pissed at me for leaving that night."

"So… you do have feelings for me?" Emma prodded carefully with her question.

"I do, but I don't quite know what they are, and I most certainly don't understand them. I just know that being near you drives me crazy. I lose all composure, I feel light-headed, my stomach feels like it's turning inside out, and my heart beats like it's going to jump out of my chest. But when all is said and done, I think...I think it's because you terrify me." Emma stared back at her with confusion. "Whenever you rush head first into battle, or charge off towards danger, or sprint so hard towards a problem you might crack your head open. Every time you do, you terrify me. Every time you do, I can feel nothing but worry. Worry that this is the time your luck runs out, that this is the time things don't go the way you think they will, that this is the time I won't be able to say 'I told you so' because you won't be there anymore."

"Oh…" Emma replied. "I never knew that's how you felt…" She scooched back to where she had been sitting next to Elinor, and leaned into her. "But I'm here now, and unless you tell me to, I'm not going anywhere."

They probably didn't sit there for more than five minutes, heads leaning on each other, their fingers intertwined, but to Elinor it felt like a millennium. Her head was spinning, her stomach was doing backflips, and her heart was doing it's best attempt at escaping it's confinement inside her torso, but it didn't matter. She had never felt so calm. She had never felt as calm as she did now, leaning on Emma for support, feeling her soft fingers intertwined with her own, the smell of her hair calming her better than any incense ever could.

"Assam…" She could feel Emma move her head. No. Why couldn't they just stay like this. But Elinor lifted her head off of Emma's, and met her eyes. Once again time lost meaning as she stared into the amber gemstones that Emma had been blessed with for eyes.

"Don't worry, Emma." she said in a low voice. "I know this isn't a dream. Just let me pretend for a little longer…" Elinor saw Emma close her eyes, and she did the same. Their foreheads slowly met, soon followed by the tips of their noses. At this point Emma was so close Elinor could feel her breath, could still smell the burnt toast and marmalade she'd had for breakfast. Even if she couldn't see it, Elinor knew that their lips were moving closer, that they would repeat the kiss from that night. She had never anticipated anything more.

_...Life is a highway. I want to ride it all night long…_

Rosehip pulled away as her phone rang. The moment was lost. She quickly got up from the wall they'd been leaning against, leaving Elinor all alone on the floor, who clenched her fist and grimaced in disappointment. Why couldn't the phone have rung a minute later?

"He-hello?" Rosehip answered in a nervous tone.

"Emma?! Where are you guys? Darjeeling and I have been looking everywhere for you!"

"Oh. Yeah. Right. Uuh, we are… I mean… We're kinda locked in."

"What?! Where?!"

"In the storage room. Someone must have locked the door by mistake."

"Hang on, We'll be right there. Just hold on. Ohmygod you must be so hungry… _click"_

"So...It seems Darjeeling and OP are coming to rescue us," Rosehip said with a nervous laughter as she turned back to face Elinor.

"Rosehip…" Elinor said with a tired voice as she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Uh, yeah…"

"Are you telling me you've had your phone on you this entire time?"

"Oh," Rosehip replied and stared at the phone in her hand. "I guess I forgot about it."

"You really are such an idiot," Elinor said affectionately as they heard voices outside the door. Seconds later, it opened, and in rushed Orange Pekoe, lunging at Rosehip.

"EMMA! I'm sososososo sorry! I should have come back to check on you guys much sooner, and you wouldn't have been stuck like this.

"It's...It's fine OP. Don't worry about it," Rosehip said with a nervous smile.

"Come on, let's go get you guys some dinner. Darjeeling made sure that the chef's saved you some food." Orange Pekoe began to drag Rosehip away towards the upper deck, all the while whispering to her friend. "So, did anything happen between you guys?"

"No…" Rosehip said as she glanced back at Elinor. "Nothing happened at all."

"Oh come on, you've been in there for hours. Something must have happened."

"Nope. Nothing at all."

"Come oooon Emma. I'm dying of curiosity here."

"I don't know what you're imagining, but nothing happened."

Elinor rose from the floor, and followed out the door shortly thereafter, where she was met by Darjeeling.

"So, I take it you guys took this time to talk things through."

"I suppose we did."

"So things are good between you guys now?" An inquisitive smirk made an appearance on Darjeeling's lips.

"No."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Elinor said as she stared longingly down the corridor where Orange Pekoe was dragging Rosehip away. "Things are great, actually."


	9. Of Stress and Successors: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring is once again blooming over the Ark Royal, but that of course means that Darjeeling and Assam's time aboard is over. Who shall follow in their stead as commanders, how will they cope with the pressure of following in Lady Darjeeling's footsteps, how will Jane and Emma deal with their upper-classmen leaving, and will Emma and Elinor finally kiss?

**Of Stress and Successors: Part 1**

* * *

Winter had passed, and the warm winds of spring had once again begun to make their way across the _Ark Royal_. The few cherry trees spread out across the deck of the ship had blossomed, spreading petals on the wind as they fell. It was spring, meaning Jane had now been a student of St. Gloriana for a whole year. It also meant that it was time for some of her friends to graduate and leave the school-carrier. Of the many third-years who would now go their own ways in the world, two would affect Jane more than the others. Those two were, of course, Darjeeling, her commander, and Assam, her friend and co-vice-commander.

The main graduation ceremony had been a sight to behold, befitting St. Gloriana's love of the pompous and extravagant. The school-band had brought out bag-pipes and had somehow managed not to rupture the ear-drums of anyone listening with their performance. This came as a surprise to many, since the band's musical ineptitude was a standing joke around campus. Assam, being both Student Council President and top of her grade, had delivered a beautiful speech to both students and staff, and had received a standing ovation from the entire school for it. After the ceremony was over, many younger students were handing out flowers, well-wishes or last-minute confessions of love to their leaving upper-classmen, but the members of the Sensha-Do team had other matters to attend to.

Standing in front of the Sensha-Do team's garage, Jane had gathered every first- and second-year member for a more private farewell to their teammates. There was Assam and Lady Darjeeling of course, but also Hibiscus, Oolong, Matcha, and a few others who would no longer be manning their beloved tanks. As the leaving third-years arrived for the ceremony, everyone turned to face them. Hanako Nishioka, a second-year and the gunner of Nilgiri's Matilda; the _Invincible_ , took a step forward along with a few of her friends, and began to deliver a beautiful rendition of "We'll Meet Again". Affectionately nicknamed "Nightingale" by her teammates, Hanako was responsible for handling any first-aid during training or matches where a medic or nurse was not readily available, and was known to sing to both herself and her crewmates whenever there was a lull in the action. As the songbirds finished their performance, the entire team applauded and the graduating members made their way towards Jane. They were all in the dress-version of their tank uniform, reserved for special occasions like this one. There weren't many differences, but the ones that were there were hard to miss. The jackets were fitted with golden epaulets, and a cord of the same thread on the left side of the torso. Both the skirts, which were slightly longer and ended at the knee, and the jackets had gold and red thread sewn along the edges. Darjeeling, being the commander, had a white sash extending diagonally across her chest, and by her side she had slung the old cavalry sabre Lady Earl Grey had given her during her visit last year.

"Thank you Nightingale, and to the rest of you," Darjeeling said to the crowd and gave an appreciative nod to Nishioka. "I hope that some of the new members know how to sing as well as you, or there will be no one to serenade you once you graduate." Polite laughter made its way through the crowd at the joke.

"That's an issue for next year's commander," Jane said jokingly, and walked over to her teammates together with Rukuriri, Nilgiri and Emma, each holding bouquets of flowers for them.

"Indeed it is," Darjeeling said as she accepted the flowers. "And speaking of which." She turned and handed her bouquet to Assam, before turning back to Jane and gesturing for her to kneel. Jane, taken aback at this, did as instructed. "I have been truly blessed to be in command of you all this year, and even though we merely took the bronze in this year's tournament, I am proud to have served with each and every one of you. But my time here at St. Gloriana is over, and in the tradition of our illustrious school, I have decided on a successor." Jane heard the sound of a sword being removed from its scabbard, and felt the heavy blade touch her left shoulder. "Orange Pekoe," Darjeeling said in a determined voice. "In the name of Elizabeth..." The blade moved to her right shoulder. "Victoria..." It returned to her left shoulder once more. "and St. George..." The blade lifted from her shoulders all together. "I, Lady Darjeeling of St. Gloriana's Sensha-Do team, by the power vested in me by the Lady Earl Grey, hereby name you my successor and bestow upon you the rank of Supreme Commander of all forces under St. Gloriana Girls College's Sensha-Do team. Now rise, _Lady_ Orange Pekoe of St. Gloriana."

Jane rose to her feet and met Darjeeling's eye while the team applauded, and she could hear someone wolf-whistling behind her. It was almost certainly Emma. It had been an open secret for months that Jane was to be named Darjeeling's successor, but the ceremonial handover had surprised her, and glancing at the crowd, so it seems everybody else. Darjeeling returned the sabre to its scabbard and un-hooked it from her belt before holding it before Jane. " _This_ shall be the symbol of your command, and that of all who follow in your stead. Never draw it in anger, and always return it to it's scabbard whenever it is not needed." It didn't take a genius to understand the metaphor, but it was a nice touch nonetheless Jane mused as she accepted the sword, and hooked it at her side. While she had been prepared to accept the command, the sword was unexpected. It had only come into Darjeeling's possession a few months ago, and pretty much everyone had assumed she would keep it as the gift from Lady Earl Grey it was. It felt strange to have the now commander's sabre weigh on her like it did. _Another metaphor I suppose_ , she thought dryly. Darjeeling gestured for Jane to make the next move, and so she did.

"Thank you, Lady Darjeeling. I am honored to have been chosen to take your place, and I promise to uphold and continue the success, fame and renown that our school has nurtured and achieved under your leadership." She drew the saber for the first time, feeling the weight and balance of the steel in her hand as she held it aloft. "For Elizabeth, Victoria, and St. George!" she shouted, and the crowd answered in kind. "For Elizabeth, Victoria, and St. George! Long live the Lady Orange Pekoe!" She returned the saber to its scabbard, and prepared herself. Now would come the hardest part of the entire day; saying goodbye.

She gestured to Emma, who grabbed a small wooden chest standing at her side, and walked up to Jane. Once Emma had reached her, Jane opened the chest. Inside were several red berets with St. Gloriana's seal embroidered on the front; the proof that someone had served in St. Gloriana's Sensha-Do team. She carefully lifted one from the chest, and turned to Darjeeling. Darjeeling reached into her breast-pocket in response, and pulled out the small silk bag of darjeeling tea that she had been given upon receiving her tea-name.

"Darjeeling, for serving St. Gloriana and acting with supreme confidence and skill in her Sensha-Do team, I present to you this..." Jane reached out and held the beret before her former commander. She had practiced all of last week to make sure she wouldn't misspeak. "I pray that you shall succeed in all your endeavours, and continue to bring pride to our school." Darjeeling took the beret and placed the small bag in Jane's hand before fitting it on her head and answering. "Thank you commander. I shall for all time treasure this symbol of my service and my time at this school." Jane placed the bag on a small stand beside her, before Darjeeling reached in to hug her.

"Congratulations, my dear Pekoe," she whispered softly. "I know you'll make me proud."

"Thank you Commander," Jane whispered back, before breaking the hug. Darjeeling walked out into the crowd to vigorous applause, and watched on as Jane repeated the procedure with Assam and her other third-year teammates.

* * *

As the ceremony came to a close, Jane was swarmed by her teammates, all of them congratulating her on her promotion. Among them was a very excited Emma, who nearly tackled her to the ground in her excitement. As Jane politely thanked each and every one of them, Darjeeling and Assam walked over to the crowd, which immediately parted before them.

"Commander?" Darjeeling said with her usual calm voice. "Might I have a word in private?"

"Of course Comman...I mean, Darjeeling," Jane replied. _Right, she was the commander now, not Darjeeling_. Darjeeling gestured to the garage, and Jane followed her towards the doors. In the corner of her eye she could see Emma begin to follow them, but Assam intercepted her path. "Let them talk in private, Emma," she said and led the pink-haired girl away. "Orange Pekoe doesn't need us in there making it awkward." And so, Darjeeling led on as Jane followed into the garage and the small office by the side. The commander's office. Now, it was _her_ office.

Once inside, Jane waited for a few seconds for Darjeeling to sit down in the chair behind the desk. Then she realized she had merely been waiting out of habit, and walked behind the desk herself, unhooking the sabre and placing it on a small table against the wall before sitting down.

"So," she said, uneasy at the unfamiliar chair. Even though it was rightfully her seat, it somehow felt unearned. As if she didn't belong in it. "What did you want to talk about, Darjeeling?"

"Nothing much," Darjeeling said as she walked around the room, taking in her last few moments in the office. "But for starters, you really should stop calling me Darjeeling. That name will soon go to someone else, so you should get used to it not being mine as soon as possible. Just call me Elizabeth."

"Oh…" Jane said. She hadn't really considered the fact that Darjeeling wasn't Darjeeling anymore. "I-I'm sorry comma… I mean Darjee… Elizabeth." The name didn't feel right at all as it crossed her lips. _Elizabeth, not Darjeeling_. _Elizabeth, not Darjeeling_ , she repeated in her mind, hoping it would stick.

Elizabeth kept walking around the room calmly, running a finger along one of the shelves. "Don't worry, Commander. It will sink in sooner or later. I still catch myself calling Victoria by her tea-name." She turned and smiled at Jane. "But other than that, how does it feel? Being promoted I mean?"

"I don't think it's sunk in yet. In my mind I'm still just a loader, not someone who is fit to command anyone," she replied. In actuality her mind was a raging battle between ecstatic happiness at the promotion, and terrifying unease at not believing herself ready for it. "I know I led the Chindits, but that was only for a few matches, and we lost so quickly. Are you sure you shouldn't have picked someone else? Nilgiri has experience at command, and she's been with the team longer…" Jane was unraveling as she spoke, but Elizabeth raised a hand to stop her.

"Are you claiming I've made a bad decision, Orange Pekoe?" she said with dry wit. Elizabeth sat down on one of the chairs before the desk, reached over, and took Jane's hand in her own as she looked her former loader in the eyes. "I want you to believe me when I tell you that I've never been this sure about a decision in my life. I've known for months that you would be the one to replace me, to lead these girls to new and greater heights. Never before have I truly felt this sure of myself, or of anyone else. You might not have the experience that Nilgiri or Ruhuna has. But you have a sharp mind, you have a good grasp of the team and its capabilities, and most importantly, you have a good heart. I made you Commander for a reason. I need someone I can trust to take care of the team now that I leave for England, and there is no one aboard this carrier I trust more than you." Jane could feel tears start to well up, and reached for a handkerchief that was lying on the desk.

"But how can you be so sure? I'm nowhere near the Commander you are. You defeated _the_ Miho Nishizumi time and time again, and I lost to Jajka, someone who doesn't even play Sensha-Do, because of a stupid mistake. A complete beginner should have seen that my plan was foolish. But I was so caught up in the battle, and so sure of myself that I completely missed it. How can you entrust the team to someone like that?"

"Did you not just explain it yourself?"

"What? How do you mean?"

"You realize that you made a mistake fighting Bonple, and you've grown and improved as a result. What more could a leader ask of anyone?"

"But still… I'm not ready for any of this. What possible reason do you have to trust me with the team?"

"Simple. It's because you are the Commander, and the Commander is to be trusted."

"But I…"

"You are the Commander now. I believe it, Rosehip believes it, Assam believes it. Every single girl out on that field believes in the simple fact that you are the Commander now," Elizabeth gestured towards the training field beyond the garage walls. "The only person left to convince is yourself, and there's no one who can do that other than you. You have always had the will and the strength of character to get others to follow you wherever you go. The only difference now is that you need to realize you're doing it, and exploit that capability against yourself."

"But how can I do that? I don't know where to start, where to begin?"  
"I can't say. That's for you to decide." Elizabeth rose from her chair and began to move towards the door. "But if I were you, I'd make sure to make use of my friends. Charles I'm certain will give you all the emotional support you could ever need, Rosehip is surely standing outside the door just waiting to lend you a hand like the devil she is, and I guarantee you can learn much from Nilgiri and Ruhuna, or even the other commanders, that I could never teach you." Elizabeth paused for a moment, and smiled before she continued. It was to be her final lesson after all. "Do you know this saying? 'Leadership consists of picking good people, and helping them do their best'." Jane put the handkerchief back on the table and shook her head as she smiled. Of course there would be one final quote before the commander left the _Ark Royal_.

"Paraphrasing Chester Nimitz aren't you? But yes, thank you. I'll make sure to make both you and Lady Earl Grey proud." Elizabeth opened the door as she reached it, and just as she was about to leave, turned one last time. "Oh, and I almost forgot. I've left a letter for you on the desk in my study. Although I suppose it's _your_ study now, Commander."

* * *

Suddenly, Jane was alone in the office. She sat for a moment and leaned back in the chair. It slowly began to feel more or more like she belonged there, even if it was still very foreign. She simply sat there and took it all in. _She was the commander now, and she would be for two whole years_. Darjeeling and Assam had left. She was the only one left from the command staff. She would need to build a new structure from the ground up, find new crews for the tanks that now stood empty or had seats open up, and at the same time protect and continue Darjeeling's legacy. She had her work cut out for her, that was for sure.

After a few minutes, there was a knock on the still open door, and Emma entered. As Jane turned to face her friend, she noticed the black ribbon now fastening Emma's hair neatly into a ponytail. A black ribbon that looked suspiciously similar to the one Assam usually wore. Jane raised an eyebrow and looked at Emma's new hairstyle.

"I take it your talk with Assam went well?"

"Oh," Emma said and reached up to the ribbon. "You mean this? Yeah, uhm, she uh, might have given it to me. Said it was so that it would hold me back like she used to do."

"So now, the love of your life has left, you're here all alone having never made a move, and all you have to show for it is a ribbon and a new hairstyle?"

"Yeah.. I suppose it is," Emma said and looked at the floor, while Jane sighed and smiled to herself.

"Just promise me this, Emma..."

"What?"

"Promise me that when you break down crying in a few days and regret your every choice in how you handled this love drama, you go talk to Rukuriri or someone. Not me."

"I guess I'll try," Emma said and chuckled. She smiled and looked at her friend. "So, how does it feel? You're the Commander, you got a great big ceremony and everything. Must be quite the achievement. St. Gloriana rarely makes first years into commanders, right?"

"No, they don't," Jane said as she felt another source of pressure added to the pile. "But it feels good. I just hope I can match everyone's expectations."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. You got promoted by Lady Darjeeling herself after all. It's not like she'd make a mistake or anything." While Emma's words were sincere, they cut deeper than Jane would like to admit. It was still very possible that Darjeeling had made a mistake in promoting her. "So, you got promoted, and Assam-senpai left the team. Who's gonna be the new Vice-Commanders?"

"I've actually already given it some thought," Jane said to Emma with a knowing smile as she opened a drawer in the desk, and pulled out a small box. She carefully opened it, and looked at the golden chevrons inside. The symbol of the rank of Vice-Commander. She closed the lid and got up from her chair, before walking over to Emma, handing her the small box. "Rosehip, if you would…"

"Yes, oh please yes, thankyouthankyouthankyou so, so much Jane! I knew this day would come, the two of us as Commander and Vice-Commander of our own Sensha-Do team…"

"...be so kind as to go and give this to Rukuriri," Jane continued. "She is to be promoted to Vice-Commander." She returned to the chair, and began looking through some notes from Q-branch, as Emma stood in stunned silence at the rejection.

"Oh…" she said in a low voice, and began to leave the room. "I'll...I'll go do that, Commander." Just as Emma was about to leave the room, Jane called out to her.

"Hey, Emma! By the way," Emma turned and looked at her friend with a pout. "Take this as well." She reached back to the drawer and threw a second box of chevrons to Emma, who caught it before looking at the contents inside.

"Are these…"

"Yes they are."

"For me?"

"Yup," Jane said with a grin. "Congratulations, Vice-Commander Rosehip."

"That was cruel, OP. I hope you know that." Emma said back in a bitter tone.

"I know," Jane replied with a chuckle as she wiped a tear from her eye. "But now that I can't mess with you about Assam, I got to be allowed at least _some_ fun, don't I?"

* * *

As Elizabeth left the Sensha-Do teams garage, she was passed by Rosehip, now sporting a ponytail, which seemed to suit her very well. She made her way through the now diminished crowd outside, accepting a few last-minute goodbyes and thanks, before meeting up with Elinor who was waiting for her underneath the grand oak in the school courtyard. For some reason the ribbon she usually tied up her hair with was missing, and she had instead let her hair flow freely down her back.

"So, do you think she'll make it work?" Elinor asked as she grabbed her bag from the ground. Elizabeth stopped, and turned back to look at the garage one last time before answering.

"I do," she said. "I think she'll do just fine." Elinor looked at her in disbelief.

"And here I thought you had faith in your 'cloaked dagger'. Don't tell me you have any last minute regrets all of a sudden. I for one _know_ she'll do splendidly." One of Elinor's rare smiles appeared on her lips.

"I suppose you're right, Elinor," Elizabeth said and laughed. "Especially with your favorite speed demon by her side. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Nothing I hope, but let's get back on land just in case," Elinor replied as they made their way into the underground. "If the _Ark Royal_ could be sunk by two errant highschoolers, I want to get off her as soon as possible." As they began to walk through the many corridors and passages leading to the gangway and Yokohama proper, Elinor stopped and looked at Elizabeth. "You know, it's been nearly three years."

"Since what? If you mean since we lived on land, your math is sorely lacking. We've been here for three years, almost exactly to the day."

"No, that's not what I meant," Elinor said as she shook her head. "I mean, it's been nearly three years since you called me Elinor. Ever since we got our tea-names, you always insisted on using them."

"Has it really been that long?" Elizabeth looked away for a moment, lost in thought. "Three years huh? I was so different then…"

"We both were, Liz," Elinor said as she gave her friend a pat on the back. "We both were."

As they turned the final corner, letting them see the sunlight of Yokohama's harbor flow in from where the gangway extended, it was Elizabeth's turn to freeze in place.

"You ok Liz?" Elinor asked and turned when she realized she was walking alone.

"I don't want to leave…" Elizabeth said in a low voice.

"What?"

"I don't want to leave!" She said again, much louder. "I don't want to leave this school, I don't want to leave this ship, I don't want to leave Pekoe, I don't want to leave the team…" Tears ran down her cheeks as she unraveled, but Elinor soon stepped in and hugged her friend as tightly as she could.

"Shh… You'll be fine. I don't want to leave either, but that's part of our journey. Sometimes our paths must diverge from those we know, or we will forever be stuck in the same tracks." Elizabeth looked at Elinor, and could almost make out tears in her eyes beyond the ones fogging her own vision.

"But, but… but I'm not done here yet. There's so much left for me to do. I need to go back, I need to help Pekoe, I need to guide the team, I need to…" The hug tightened even more as Elizabeth tried to turn and run back up to the main deck.

"There's nothing left for you to do. We're both done here. You've left the team in good hands. Pekoe is a good and capable girl. I'm certain she will take good care of it. The only thing you can do to help her now is to believe in her and to watch from the sidelines. Anything else will only ruin things for her." The two must have stood there for at least 10 minutes, before either of them were ready to walk the last 50 feet to the gangway. They dried their tears, took a deep breath, and walked out into the spring breeze and sunlight together.

* * *

"Heeeey! Over here!" A voice called out to the two as they made their way towards the ground. At the bottom of the gangway, Kay stood and waved at them, dressed in a tank top, jeans shorts and sporting sunglasses. She must be very cold, Elinor thought, considering the breeze, but the two waved back as they walked towards her.

"Hello Kay, how nice of you to meet us he…" Elinor began to address the former Saunders commander once they reached the dock, but Kay merely ran past her and tackled Elizabeth in a loving embrace.

"DARJY!" She shouted full of glee as she jumped up and down on the spot, still holding Elizabeth tightly.

"Hello Kay," a slightly uncomfortable Elizabeth said dryly in between the squeezing hugs and many hasty kisses she received. "I see you were on time for once." She, with some difficulty, managed to push her loving attacker off of her. "And as I've told you a million times; stop calling me Darjeeling. Or Darjy, or Darj, or Darling for that matter. It's Elizabeth."

"No can do, Darling." Kay said with an exaggerated american accent in her broken English. "You're stuck with it now," she continued in her normal japanese as she gave Elizabeth another kiss. "Although I suppose I could call you Liz, but only on special occasions."

"You're absolutely hopeless, you know that right?" Elizabeth said and smiled at her girlfriend. _Of all the airheads in the world, why did I have to fall in love with this one?_ She thought.

"'Do I know that I'm hopeless?' Darling, that's my entire brand!" Kay responded with a grin. She then placed herself between Elizabeth and Elinor, putting an arm on each of their shoulders. "Now come on, everyone else is already waiting for us. Well, except Maho of course, but she sends her best. Apparently the beer's both better and cheaper in Germany anyways."

"What's this all about? This is the first I've heard of any beers or gatherings." Elinor said in surprise and brushed Kay's arm off. It was at this point Elizabeth realized that, in all the stress leading up to their graduation, she had forgotten to tell Elinor about the celebration put together for the graduating commanders. Anzu had been the one to suggest it at one of their regular conferences, and soon most of the commanding third-years from all the major schools had agreed. Within weeks, they would be spread as far apart as the wind could take them after all, so a final celebratory night out together seemed appropriate.

"I'm really sorry Elinor, I forgot to tell you. The graduating commanders are gathering for a night out to celebrate. This idiot right here," she gestured to Kay, "wants to see me drunk out of my mind at least once before I go to England, and leave her for a girl with some manners. Or sense for that matter." She gave Kay a playful jab in the side with her elbow and kissed her on the cheek before walking over to her friend.

"Oh, then I suppose I should get going. I was never a commander, and I don't want to intrude." Elinor began to turn and walk away, but she could barely take a step before Elizabeth and Kay had both grabbed her hands.

"Who said anything about intruding?" Elizabeth said. "Of course you're invited."

"You were a Vice-Commander, weren't you?" Kay asked her, but continued before she could reply. "Besides, Naomi, Yuzu, Klara and a whole host of others who weren't technically commanders will also be there. It would be more rude of you to _not_ show up." Elinor looked to Elizabeth, then Kay, then back at Elizabeth, and sighed.

"Fine, I guess I'm coming with you. But they'd better have something else than beer. I only drink vo…"  
"'Vodka martini. Stirred, not shaken.' Yes we know," Elizabeth finished her sentence for her as they began to drag her along. "Don't worry. Nonna was the one who picked the bar, so I'm sure they'll have plenty of alcohol besides the beer. She likes her drinks fruity and colorful after all," Kay said and returned to her position between the two, leading the way down the pier. _This will be one hell of a night to remember_ , Elinor thought. _Though if Kay gets to decide, I won't remember a second of it, will I?_

* * *

Jane was filled with unease as the _Victory_ made its way across the training ground. It had been two weeks since Lady Darjeeling left the carrier. Two weeks since she had been named commander. Two weeks filled with frantic planning and preparation for the arrival of new first-years aboard the _Ark Royal_ , meaning the possibility of new cadets for the team. These two weeks had also proven to be a deluge of new information and responsibilities for her. The mechanics wanted information on this, the regular tank crews wanted to know that, and the officers wanted something else. She had barely had time to breathe, let alone sleep. Thankfully, the familiar hum of the _Victory_ 's engine proved a source of calm as they held their demonstration for the new cadets.

"Hey, Commander," Ruhuna called over the internal radio, breaking the relative silence. "You doing OK back there?"

"Huh? Ye-yeah… I'm fine," Jane stammered in response as she gripped her throat-mic. "I'm doing just fine." That title again. 'Commander'. Two weeks, and it still hadn't quite sunk in that it referred to her. Especially when it came from an older girl like Ruhuna.

"Just checking. You've been very quiet is all. We've been driving around here for nearly half an hour, and you've barely said a word. It was never this quiet when Lady Darjeeling was in command."

"No," Jane said in a low voice. "It never was, was it?" She looked around the interior of the tank, and despite having served in the _Victory_ for a year, everything felt strange and new to her. Nothing looked as it had done from her loader's seat. The seat that would most likely go to one of the new cadets. Now she was forced to look on from up high in the commander's seat, and keep a watchful eye on their surroundings. _Best not to dwell on it too much_ , Jane thought. _I'm sure I'll get used to it in time_. Determined to break the awkward silence, she raised her hand back to her throat, and called back to her driver. "Hey, Ruhuna?"

"What's up?"

"Would you prefer if I called you by your tea-name, or by your real name?" Jane hadn't spoken very much with Ruhuna during her first year. All she knew was that she did well at her studies, mostly keeping at the top of her grade, and that she was a rather timid and reserved girl. That was, whenever she was not behind the wheel of the Victory. Her skill at maneuvering a tank was among the finest in the league, and even if she never acted as quickly as the crew of the _Defiance_ , or Ooarai's Leopon team, she always positioned the tank with perfect intent and timing.

"Do you even know my real name, Commander?" Ruhuna asked in response. _Crud_. Jane had to admit, she didn't actually know her name. She had intended to be polite, but instead would end up insulting her only remaining crewmate.

"Uuhh… I'm gonna say… maybe Vlad?" Jane hoped the joke would lessen the impact of her failure to know or remember something as simple as the girl's name.

"Very funny," Ruhuna replied with some amusement before continuing "It's Hina. Hina Chiura. But no, Ruhuna is fine. Makes the switch from Lady Darjeeling less awkward."

"I suppose…" Jane mumbled to herself. "I suppose it does." A minute or so later, the noise of the engine died down, and the tank came to a halt. Jane opened the hatch, taking a deep breath before she made her way out of the tank to greet the newcomers. _You are the Commander now_ , she thought, attempting to convince herself it was true. _You are the Commander, so act like it_.

"Commander?" Ruhuna called out to Jane as she was about to emerge from the hatch.

"Ye-yeah?"

"Go show 'em who's boss!" She gave Jane a smile and thumbs up as she looked back to meet her eye. Jane nodded, put on her most stoic face, and pulled herself up through the hatch. Before her on the field in front of the garage stood a few of her regular teammates who had been narrating the demonstration, as well as a few dozen first-years with differing levels of glee in their eyes. Jane brushed her skirt clean as she stood up atop the _Victory_ , just like Lady Darjeeling had done a year ago, and launched into the speech she had been practicing and memorizing for the past week.

"Good afternoon everyone! Thank you all so much for choosing Sensha-Do as your elective. I'm the team's commander, and you can call me Lady Orange Pekoe. I hope you will all find Sensha-Do to be as fun and exciting as I do. Now, a few things about the team..."

* * *

_**To be continued...** _


	10. Of Stress and Successors: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month has passed since Elizabeth and Elinor left the Ark Royal. In this time, Jane has gotten first hand-experience in what it means to run and command a Sensha-Do team, and the vast majority of it is paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork. After a month of near sleepless nights and constant paperwork, the pressure is starting to get to her. Will her friends be able to help her out of this, or are more creative solutions needed?

**Of Stress and Successors: Part 2**

* * *

If Jane had learned anything about being the Commander of a Sensha-Do team during these first few weeks, it was that the paperwork never stopped. Q-branch needed constant updates on which tanks were being used, which were to be put into storage, and which needed maintenance or repairs, and what type of damage they had received. The Federation wanted to know what tanks they intended to field in their upcoming matches, as well as when they were open to scheduling exhibition matches. Other schools wanted to schedule said exhibition matches, or request exchange-lessons where they would coach each other on certain tactics or aspects of tankery. The school administration wanted to know who was participating in team activities and when, so that they could report the correct attendance numbers. The team wanted to know who would be manning what tank, and who was to play in any upcoming matches. And all of it required mountains upon mountains of paperwork. Jane sat in the study of the Commander's quarters, now her own, on the fourth floor of the dorms, nearly dropping her pen from cramp brought on by the sheer amount of forms and paperwork she had to fill out. She finished filling in the form in front of her, put the pen down and leaned back in her chair, looking around the room. The walls were still bare as she hadn't had the time to properly move in, and glancing out into the living room, she could see the many boxes left to unpack. The only furnishing in the room, except for the near-empty bookcases, chair and oak desk, was a shelf where the Commander's sabre was proudly displayed.

A month had passed since Elizabeth had graduated and left her in command. In that time, she had had to organize the demonstration and introduction to all the first-years who signed up for the team, and start to look through their files to assign them to their positions, as well as look over the possibility of replacing or shuffling around the existing crews. Perhaps some girls were more suited for a different position, or two crews needed to be merged to provide unity of command. In the span of this singular month she had been berated by 'Q' no less than eleven times, and constantly been dragged before the student council to explain the nature of certain expenditures from the team's budget. And on top of it all, there was still school, the blasted team strategy meetings which she was now supposed to be in charge of, and the futile attempts at maintaining her social life. Between it all, a full, or even half, night's sleep had become a rare occurrence indeed.

"I just don't understand how you did it all," she said to herself as she slowly swiveled around in her chair and yawned. "Is this all just a cruel prank? You can't drown me in quotes and vomit-inducing cooking anymore, so you made me a slave to bureaucracy instead?" she mused. Of course she knew better than to suspect Elizabeth of playing a prank on her from beyond graduation, but the idea was far more inviting than the alternative. The possibility that Jane simply was not as capable as the Commander needed to be. That she wasn't the correct choice for St. Gloriana after all. It certainly wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that her promotion was one of Lady Darjeeling's eccentric and rushed mistakes. _No_ , she thought and clenched her fist. _I mustn't think like that. I'm the Commander, I just need to believe it_. Jane turned back to her desk, and gave another look at the stacks of paper that only ever seemed to grow. She needed to get back to work, or she would fall asleep where she sat. Still, it felt like she was forgetting something amidst all this paperwork. _Well, let's try to work on another pile at least_ , she thought. _Repetition is the mind-killer, they say_. She moved the stack she had been working on, concerning the teams voting record on the implementation of new rules to the Federation league, to the side, and instead picked up a batch of student-files in order to start assigning new crews.

After what felt like an eternity, there was a knock on the door. Jane looked down at the files she had before her through droopy eyelids, and realized she hadn't even dealt with a half-dozen of them. She sighed, and got up from the desk to answer the door. As she moved through the apartment, another knock, more frantic than the first, sounded. Yeah, yeah. I'm coming, I'm coming. She opened the door, and beyond it stood Emma in her full tank uniform, breathing heavily.

"Emma, what's so important? I've got paperwork to fill out," she said. "Actually, nevermind," she turned and began walking back into the apartment as she spoke, "it's a good thing you came by. I was meaning to ask you, what do you think about putting the _Temeraire_ back on the roster this year? I know that the entire crew graduated and it'll take a while to train up a new one, it is a very fiddly tank after all, but I think it could do us some goo…" When she realized Emma hadn't followed her inside, she walked back to the door and saw Emma lift a finger, finally catching her breath.

"Do you know what time it is?" Instantly Jane knew what she had forgotten, and looked down at her watch. It was 17:36.

"Crap, the meeting!" she shouted and rushed back into the apartment to change into her tank jacket. She rummaged around in the walk-in closet for a minute until she found it, while simultaneously trying to wriggle out of the sweater and shirt of her school uniform. As she found the jacket, she realized she had forgotten to iron it. _Crap_. Still, it couldn't be helped, so she grabbed a tank top from the laundry basket and threw it on before letting the tank jacket slip onto her arms. She ran back into the study and grabbed the Commander's sabre, before rushing back to the door, trying with all her might to button the jacket as she ran. She barely managed to hold the sabre steady in her armpit as she ran.

"What are you just standing there for? We need to go!" she yelled at Emma as she hastily locked the door and began to run down the hall, with Emma following closely behind her.

"At least our year of racing to the roof is coming in handy," she shouted from behind, but Jane was in no mood for jokes. She was late to her own meeting, and she had no one to blame but herself.

* * *

As the two arrived at the Sensha-Do teams operations room, which doubled as a meeting hall, Jane looked at her watch while she caught her breath and composed herself. It was already 17:48. They were almost twenty minutes late. She stifled a yawn as she put a hand on the doorknob, but was stopped by Emma.

"Wait," she said as she too caught her breath. "You can't go in like that." She began to rebutton Jane's jacket, which she had managed to get all slanted in her hurry, patting the sleeves somewhat straight, and re-hooking the commander's sabre to her side. "There. We can't have the Commander show up looking like a mess, now can we?" she asked with a smile and opened the door. The chatter inside instantly died down the moment the two walked in as everyone present rose from their seats. "Commander!" Rukuriri said with a salute. All of the commanders were present, as were a few first years who were there to observe and learn, as well as keep the participating members' tea cups filled.

"As you were, Ladies," Jane said absent-mindedly and gave a half-hearted salute before taking her seat. "Vice-Commander Rosehip, if you would?" She gave a nod to Emma, who took to the podium.

"Certainly, Commander," she said with confidence before facing the crowd, and gesturing to the projection on the wall behind her. "A few days ago, Commander Carpaccio contacted us and delivered a formal request for an exhibition match. The Commander has accepted Anzio's challenge, and the match is currently scheduled to take place on the Saturday after the next. The battlefield that the Federation has chosen for us is Nayoro." A combination of exhausted groans and excited cheers sounded from the audience. Nayoro might have been a legendary battlefield, but it was also a notoriously difficult battle for whichever side ended up starting beyond the pass."Hey," Emma shouted over the noise. "Settle down, ok? I know it's not ideal for us, but it's the hand we've been dealt, so we simply have to handle it. The match will be a 10v10 flag battle, and so we are here to discuss team lineup and decide on a strategy." The screen behind Emma shifted to an overview of the Nayoro battlefield, and the top of the central table slid aside to reveal a scale model of the same. Emma continued speaking, however, Jane didn't hear much after that. She was both exhausted and lost in thought, staring at the many paintings of the previous commanders that lined the walls of the operations room. There was Lady Earl Grey: ' _The Gale_ ', Lady Sencha: ' _The Steadfast_ ', and many more from the team's long history. But her eyes stopped at the newest portrait to be hung on the wall. Lady Darjeeling, ' _The Noble_ '. The portrait was modest compared to most others, many of which depicted its commander in the middle of a battle, or standing in ornately decorated rooms with symbolic trophies painted throughout. Lady Darjeeling's portrait was different. It was a simple scene. Elizabeth sat underneath the oak tree on campus with a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other, with a small picnic set up beside her as autumn leaves fell. Her face was tranquil and smiling, as she often was in public, but in her eyes Jane could spot a small hint of the mischievous and eccentric side of Elizabeth that she had had the misfortune to discover. The only extravagance and bragging the artist had gotten away with including in the painting was hidden amongst the picnic. A sandwich made with anglerfish was just peeking out from behind an unorthodox hot-pot containing a wild mix of ingredients. It was a small touch, and Jane was sure that Elizabeth would have hated it if she noticed, but it was nice to see some acknowledgement of Lady Darjeeling's accomplishments. One day Jane's own portrait would hang beside the others on that wall. _How would it portray her, and how would she be remembered?_ She didn't know, and the thought terrified her.

"You will be remembered as a failure." Jane recognized the voice clearly. It was Lady Darjeeling. But where had it come from? Jane looked around the room in search of the voice, but of course Lady Darjeeling was nowhere to be found. "Over here, you utter disappointment." As Jane looked back to the paintings, she noticed that Lady Darjeeling's portrait was now glaring at her. Jane blinked a few times, but still the painting was looking straight at her. "You will be remembered as the failure you are, and nothing else." Gone was the tranquil smile, replaced by a disappointed and evil grin. "And here I thought that I could trust you. You think that you could possibly be important enough to hang on this wall?" the painting asked her. "Don't make me laugh."

"Yeah, did you honestly believe that you could ever achieve anything as great as the likes of us? You couldn't lead the way out of a paper bag." Now Lady Earl Grey spoke to her as well, laughing menacingly from the turret of the _Thunderer_ , sabre at the ready. "Little girls like you couldn't be entrusted with so much as a screwdriver, let alone a Sensha-Do team." Jane moved her gaze to Earl Grey and began to answer. "N-no… I'm ready for thi…" but she was interrupted by Darjeeling. "You're not ready for anything. If it weren't for me taking pity on you, you'd still be scrubbing tank treads, never having even seen the inside of a tank."

"I remember when St. Gloriana was considered the finest school in all of Japan, and commanding her Sensha-Do team was a privilege only given to the best and brightest. How far we have fallen to be entrusted to a greenhorn like you." Now Lady Sencha began to speak from her ornate study, her words cutting like razor blades. "Our school used to be the pride of the nation, with every single one of her alumni going on to great deeds. And now, we are left to the likes of you. How disgusting."

"N-no, I will...I will…"

"You'll what? Win the championship? Bring about a renaissance for the team? Become the next Miho Nishizumi?" The portraits each mocked her in turn. "Just look at you. You're nothing."

"But, but I…" she tried to defend herself, but the onslaught continued.

"You were merely a toy. A small cuddly little animal for me to play with, to whittle away the hours with," Darjeeling cackled while sipping her tea.

"No, I was…"

"I would never have given Darjeeling that sword if I knew it would end up with the likes of you," Earl Grey said calmly as she brushed a hand through her flowing hair.

"No, you said…"

"What manner of arrogant and odious creature are you, that you believe yourself our equal?" Lady Sencha said in a bitter tone without looking up from her desk, working on some piece of paper before her.

"No, I'm…"

"Did you really believe that I left you in charge because I believed in you? It was merely a final torturous command to ensure you always knew who your betters were! You...are...WEAK!"

"NO!" Jane screamed at her predecessors and banged her fist on the table. "Leave me alone!" As she looked around the room, she saw the gasping and shocked faces of her teammates. The paintings were returned to what they had always been, and she felt something hot start to burn her hand. As she looked down, she saw tea flowing across the table in front of her, and a tea cup from which it had clearly been spilt. She shook her fist a few times before inspecting the burned area. It would hurt for sure, but there was no major damage.

"I-I...I'm so...I'm so sorry Lady Orange Pekoe. Are...are you ok?" A girl standing next to her with cadet insignia on her shoulders asked, clearly terrified. Jane just waved her hand at the questions.

"Sure."

"Is everything alright, Commander?" Emma asked carefully, to which Jane simply glared at her. "W-well then. We still need to come up with a strategy against Anzio…"  
"Ok, ok, fine, good, yes, good, yes, fine, good, yes, now, good, good, good, good" Jane grasped the sides of her head as she rambled to herself, before smacking the table with the palm of her hands repeatedly. The sudden outburst caused the girl, still standing beside her, to take a step back. She was holding a porcelain teapot and, not minding how she held it, didn't realize that it began to pour onto Jane's lower leg, burning it quite painfully.

"Ouch," Jane exclaimed and backed away, leaving a few seconds before the girl realized her mistake. "What is the matter with you? Can't you even do something as simple as pouring a cup of tea without crippling your superiors?"

"I-I-I-I," the girl stammered. "I'm...I'm really sorry, Commander. Are you alright? Should I go get the nurse, or maybe some ice, or maybe…"

"I'm fine," Jane interrupted, snapping back with a bitter tone. Her leg was hurting like all hell, but she didn't care. She then turned to Emma. "Let's just get back to work."

"Actually, we haven't really gotten started yet, but…" Emma began.

"Alright, then let's _get_ to work," she yelled back. "What, do I have to do _everything_ around here?" At this point she was furious. She didn't know at what precisely. She didn't know if she was furious at the pain in her leg and hand, furious at the laughing phantoms in her mind, furious at herself, furious at the girl, furious at the world and the way it treated her, or something else entirely. She only knew that she was furious. Emma looked at her with defiant determination in her eye, before sharing a glance with Rukuriri.

"Ok, everyone, let's wrap things up here," Rukuriri clapped her hands and called out, seemingly unprompted, to the gathered team members. "We'll get back to you with the lineup and strategy once it's decided. Just remember that the match is the Saturday after the next, and there's still practice like usual tomorrow."

* * *

The commanders quickly gathered their things and left the room, with the first-years all slinking out as well. The room was empty except for Emma, Hatsumi, and Orange Pekoe.

"What was that all about, huh?" Orange Pekoe yelled at her vice-commanders. "Why did you end the meeting when we aren't even nearly done? Is either of you going to speak up, or have you suddenly gone mute?" Emma looked to Hatsumi, who looked back with pleading eyes, so she decided to take the bullet.

"Commander, are...are you doing ok?" she asked carefully and took a step towards her friend.

"What do you mean?!" Orange Pekoe answered, throwing her arms in the air. "I'm drowning in useless paperwork, 'Q', like the hag she is, keeps dragging me away to fight about some stupid dent in one tank or another, the malicious bitch of a student council president always wants to know where every single yen this team spends is going, I'm carrying the legacy of Lady Darjeeling and this school all on my own, a cadet just tried to assassinate me, and to top it all off, my vice-commanders are conspiring behind my back!" She turned and walked to the window before continuing. "So I don't know, what do you think, Rosehip?! Am I doing ok?!"

"Commander," Emma began in a comforting tone. "Rukuriri and I both think you need to take some time off. Go to the park, or to a restaurant, or _something_." Emma took another careful step forward and reached out a hand towards her friend's shoulder, but it was slapped away as Orange Pekoe turned back to face them.

"Take some time off? Are you insane? I can barely keep up as is, and now you want me to take some time off? You always just wanted to laze about and do nothing, and now you're trying to get me to follow you? It's exactly this type of behavior that made Assam hate you! I don't even know what you saw in that humour-lacking number cruncher?! You are both absolute idiots, and you're just wasting my time!" She gestured towards Hatsumi and faced the girl like a tiger ready to pounce. "And what about you? Do you agree with this mutinous traitor as well?" Hatsumi began to stammer a response, but Orange Pekoe cut her off. "Come on then, speak up! Or are you too scared to face me, you third-rate sycophant of an amateur?!" Orange Pekoe threw an accusatory finger in Hatsumi's face before Emma stepped between them, if nothing else to stop her friends from going to blows.

"Jane!" she snapped with a forcefulness she had rarely used, especially towards her best friend. Jane refocused her attention back to Emma, with savage fury in her eyes. "You _need_ to take some time off. You are way too stressed. Let me and Rukuriri deal with the paperwork and meetings for a few weeks, and just go do something else. Go visit your grandparents, go on a date with Charles, stay in bed all day, I don't really care if I'm honest. All I can say is that leading this team will be a challenge for you when you are at your best, and what may only be news to _you_ at this point: You are nowhere near your best right now!" She looked Jane straight in the eyes as she continued. "And another thing; Insult me all you want, you can even mouth off against Rukuriri, I know that you don't mean it. But," she said in a low and bitter voice, "if you say another word about Assam-Senpai, I _will_ punch you."

"I can't believe this!" Jane shouted straight in Emma's face, and slapped her. "Am I really stuck with relying on the world's most irresponsible speed-demon, and a girl who gets taken out by a gang of volleyball-loving lunatics whenever she sits in a tank?! I should have known that there was no one I could trust on this damn carrier! I should have known that I and I alone could carry on Lady Darjeeling's legacy, and I am not going to let the likes of you two stop me!" She shoved both Emma and Hatsumi aside, and stormed out through the door. In her anger she didn't even notice that she knocked over a trio of first-years who had been listening through the door, and just continued down the hall fuming and cursing under her breath.

"Alright Ladies, name and class," Emma said to the girls as she walked over to the hallway.

"Mi-miss Rosehip," one of them stammered as they tried to get back off the floor. "W-we were just…"

" _Now_ ," Emma gave the three a knowing look, and they all sprung to attention.

"Chiyako Furukawa, class 1-D, Ma'am!"

"Ina Matsuno, class 1-A, Ma'am!"

"Fumie Kawano, class 1-D, Ma'am!"

"Noted," Emma said. "And let me make it perfectly clear that you neither saw nor heard anything here. Understood?"

"Ma'am!" the three girls replied in unison.

"Good. Now, get back to your dorms." She made a mental note to take the three aside at tomorrow's practice as she closed the door and the girls scampered off down the hall.

Once the door was closed and the two Vice-Commanders were alone, Emma looked at Hatsumi. It was clear that the girl was frightened. "You…you need to talk to her…" the brunette said, her voice trembling. "She won't listen to a word I say. You're her best friend, and you need to go talk to her." There was a resignation in her voice, one that Emma understood perfectly.

"It's no use, Rukuriri." Emma responded. "She's not going to listen to me either. She's far too worked up for that." She got her phone out, and started scrolling through her contacts.

"Then what are we going to do? We have a match in less than two weeks, we don't have a lineup, we don't have a strategy, and our commander is losing her mind," Hatsumi said in despair, before Emma lifted the phone to her ear. "Who are you calling?" Emma gave her friend a glance, and smiled as she replied.

"Air support."

* * *

"Damnit," Jane grumbled to herself. One of the many piles of paperwork in her study had collapsed, and was now spread out all over the floor. She put her pen down and walked over to clean up the mess.

It had been two days since the meeting where she had been betrayed by Rosehip and Rukuriri. She had barely been able to pay attention during yesterday's classes, and at the teams practice session she had seen many of the members avoiding eye contact with her. She had both seen and heard them, whispering behind her back. "'The Curse of St. Gloriana' had struck again," they said. Those she had caught speaking such nonsense she had given proper punishment, and berated for not focusing on practicing. She knew the rumour all too well. She had both heard it and participated in joking about it during her early months aboard. The supposed curse was said to afflict anyone who took command of the schools Sensha-Do team. Even the most cheerful and mild-mannered girl would become impossible to deal with once she was promoted to Supreme Commander. Lady Earl Grey was said to have been a victim, apparently being a studious girl with a happy-go-lucky attitude before her tenure as Commander. Lady Darjeeling was supposedly another, with Jane's own experiences acting as more than enough evidence.

 _It was all nonsense_ , she told herself. _Why would a simple promotion change someone so fundamentally?_ As she crouched to pick up some of the papers, she felt some soreness in her leg. The tea that idiot girl spilt had burnt more than she cared to admit. Still, she managed to collect the pile anew, even if the order and sorting was all wrong. _She'd get to that later_. She put the pile on a nearby chair, and walked over to the window. The sky was pretty, but she didn't have the time or frame of mind to care. She just opened the window to let some fresh air in, and returned to her desk. She stared blankly at the piece of paper in front of her. **Form 11-43J-C37: Declaration of Intent to Partake in The 64th National Sensha-Do Tournament, organized by the Japanese Sensha-Do Federation and The National Government of the Empire of Japan**. She could have sworn she had already filled this form out. Or was that **Form 11-43J-C38**? To be honest she had lost track of it all. Still, she picked up the pen again, and began filling it out. She slowly forced her way through a few other forms, trying her best to block out the image of the heckling portraits from her mind. After a few more forms, her silent workflow was interrupted yet again, this time by the noise of a helicopter passing outside. "Goddamnit, who's playing around with our Wessex?" she said to no one in particular. "And why wasn't I informed?" She stood up and walked over to the window again to close it. The panes of glass didn't do much to block out the annoying noise, but it was something at least. She tried her best to continue working, but the noise made it impossible. "Oh but for Pete's sake," she said, and threw a punch in the air. The punch however, knocked over yet another pile of paperwork. "Goddamnit…" she sighed and got up to pick up this newly spilled pile. _Yet more to go through and sort tonight_ , she thought as she put the collected papers on top of the first pile by the chair. At least the noise had stopped by now. _Thank god for that at least_. She returned to her chair yet again, and began filling out some forms for Q-branch. They had all begun to melt together in her mind, but as she stared at the form with blurred vision, she could just make out the name _Temeraire_. Right. She had asked 'Q' to keep the _Temeraire_ operational, with the intent of giving her a new crew and using her in the tournament this summer. She slowly began to fill out all of the details, but was once again interrupted. This time by a knock on the door. Rosehip again. "By Lady Darjeeling's teapot, if this isn't important, I swear I'll…" she grumbled, but didn't finish the sentence out loud as she walked towards the door. Just as she was about to open the door, another knock. At the sound of this, she threw the door open, and screamed. "WHAT IS IT?!" Once her vision refocused, she realized Rosehip was not the one who had knocked. "Uhh...Surprise?" Charles said, with a voice that made it clear that he was the one who was most surprised. His choice of clothing was simple, by his standards, yet stylish. A simple black suit with a striped tie. In one hand he held a bouquet of flowers, and beside him on the floor was a box covered in finely folded wrapping paper.

"Oh, it's you," Jane said and returned to the apartment, letting Charles follow through the open door. In the corner of her eye, she could see Charles walk into the kitchen in search of a vase for the flowers, before returning to the hallway and grabbing the wrapped gift. Jane didn't pay him much attention however, as she returned to the study. After a minute or so, Charles peeked in, and took a walk around the room while she worked.

"So, these are your new living quarters?" he asked.

"Uhuh," she answered while filling in some numbers on a piece of paper.

"Do you like them?"

"I suppose."

"You haven't been in touch for a while. Is everything ok?"

"I've been busy," she said and gestured to the mountains of paperwork.

"I see. Care to go out to eat? I'm sure Takeshi would be happy to see us. In fact I've already asked, and he's got our usual table ready…"

"Can't tonight. I need to get through at least this pile by Monday." She pointed to one of the larger piles. Charles simply sighed, and took another trip around the room in silence. _It's a Saturday, and you're worrying about this now?_

"I haven't gotten to speak with you very much since the promotion? How does it feel?"

"It's fine," she said shortly and moved on to another form.

"Uhuh…" Charles wasn't quite sure what avenue to take. Jane was rarely this difficult to speak with. "Hey," he said and smiled as he bent down to look her in the eye. "I've brought a present. Something to celebrate your promotion."

"Just leave it on the dinner table. I'll take a look at it later." She didn't so much as blink, much less look at him as she answered.

 _Later might easily be next year if you're gonna get through all this_ , Charles mused. He picked up a form from one of the finished piles and looked at it, before sitting down on one corner of the desk.

"So, what's this one for?" he asked and did his best to seem interested.

"It's to tell 'Q' that I want the _Temeraire_ on the team this year," she responded without looking up.

" _Temeraire_ , huh? Excellent books and a pretty painting, but I assume that's not what this is about?" he said with a chuckle.

"No. It's our Char 2C. We need something on the scale of Kuromorimine's Maus, and this is the best we've got."

"Char 2C? Care to explain? Unless it's a sword or one of two very specific fighter-planes, I'm very much in the dark when it comes to weaponry."

"It's a big tank," Jane said bemused. "Like, really big."

"Huh, the more you know." Charles got off the desk and returned the form to its proper place. "Say… is everything ok between you and Emma?"

"It's just peachy," Jane replied through gritted teeth. _Could he not just be quiet and let her work?_

"Interesting," he said and stroked his chin. "See, that's not what Emma told me." For the first time since he had entered the room, Jane finally looked up from her papers.

"You talked with that traitor? Oh, what did she say? Did she say that I was falling for a stupid curse that isn't even real? That I was trying too hard? That I was unwell? What lies did she feed you?" Charles casually took a step back and turned to look at the sabre Jane had put on the lone shelf in the room.

"She didn't say much. Just that you two weren't on speaking terms." He reached up and lifted the sword down from its place. "Hey, is this the sabre you got from Elizabeth?"

"Yes it is," Jane said as she returned to her work. "And put it back. I don't want anything to happen to it. It's the Commander's sabre."

"Really?" Charles asked as he pulled it out of its scabbard a few inches to look at the steel. "Then if I'm holding it, does that mean that I'm the Commander?" He turned back to Jane with a grin on his face.

"No, it doesn't. Now put it back."

"Or what? I have the sabre, so I'm in command, right? That's how that works?" The grin was what annoyed her more than anything else.

"No it isn't," Jane said a bit louder and stood up from her chair. "Now put it back on the shelf, Charles." But he didn't put it back. Instead he began walking towards the living room with the sword, hooking it to his belt, seemingly ignoring her. "Charles!" she shouted after him, but to no avail. "I'm warning you, I don't have time for this. Now give me the damn sword and get out of here." She began to follow him, but as she got close, he used his free hand to grab her wrist.

"Aha! Got you!"

"Charles, let me go. I have work that needs to be done."

"Seems to me you need to do anything but work." he said and began to drag her out into the hallway. It was an awkward walk, as she protested and tried to break free, and he limped ever forward with his cane in his right hand and Jane's wrist in his left. After a minute or so they reached the foyer, a large open room whose main purpose was to look pompous whenever someone made their way up to the Commander's quarters. Once there, he let Jane go, and unhooked the sabre from his belt before throwing it to her.

* * *

"Now," he said and began to remove his tie and the jacket of his suit. "It's both mine and Emma's belief that you need to let off some steam. And since you don't care to do it on your own, I'm here to help."

"This is ridiculous Charles. I'm going back to work," Jane said and turned to walk back to the apartment. A small metallic jingle stopped her in her tracks.

"Quick question," Charles said and threw the keyring he had grabbed from Jane's hall in the air before catching it again. "How do you intend to get into your study when you're locked out of your apartment?"

"Give me the keys, Charles," she said matter-of-factly and reached out her hand.

"No."

"Give. Me. The keys. Charles."

"You're free to try and take them from me. You have the sabre after all, and it seems really well-balanced. It would be a shame to not give it a try." Charles clacked his cane on the floor, and twisted the knob. This simple action allowed him to reveal a thin piece of metal from within the cane. _Of course Charles would have a bloody cane-sword_. "I promise I won't hurt you," he said with a smile. "Don't worry, it's blunted." Jane was not in the mood to play, and so began to walk towards Charles, the sabre still hooked at her side. She reached out a hand to grab the keys, but despite his limp, Charles was surprisingly agile, and merely stepped out of the way. She tried once again to grab the keys, but a rap on the knuckles by the cane-sword stopped her. "Come on then, don't be scared," He said with a small laugh. "Or didn't you want the keys?"

"Charles, I'm not going to fight you. Just give me the damn keys so I can get back to my god-damned work." The only answer was a small sting on her shoulder as the flat of Charles blade made contact. "Fine, you crippled madman," she said and drew the sword from her side. "Now give me the damn keys." She charged at him, but he merely sidestepped, deflected her strike with his own sword, and gave her a knock on the head with what was left of his cane.

"A reckless charge is rarely a good option. It's far better to wait and react, especially when facing an enraged opponent," Charles said with smug superiority. "But I applaud the effort." Jane charged again, this time darting back and forth to throw her boyfriend off, but this charge ended much the same as the last. "It's always best to face an opponent side-on, to provide a smaller target area," he said and twisted his body as he had done before. Jane did the same, and swung at Charles. He easily deflected the strike and got in two quick hits on Jane's leg. "Much better Not great, but much better. Still, keeping your blade at the ready to defend will make this much more painless," he continued, before Jane swung again, more carefully this time. Charles of course blocked with ease, but at least this time she managed to answer his riposte. "Now we're getting somewhere." Charles gave a few slow strikes for Jane to block, which she then did her best to turn into an answering strike. Neither of them hit home. Jane could feel her body heating up, and took a few steps back to throw off her sweater. She just managed to get it off before Charles tried another strike for her to block. "Always keep your eye on the opponent and problem at hand, my dear." He was being coy with her. She hated when he was coy with her.

"Why, won't, you, just, give, me, the, damn, keys?" she yelled, each word accompanied with an attempted strike, each blocked with ease.

"Simple. You don't need them." He smiled as he returned the favor, putting her on the back foot as he advanced.

"What do you mean? I need to do my work!" Their blades flew wildly, the soft clink of steel meeting steel flowing like a river throughout the foyer as they fought.

"No, you don't have any work to do."

"What are you talking about? Didn't you see all the forms?"

"That's not your work to do. In fact, it's not even your apartment."

"Have you gone insane?! Of course it's my apartment!"

"Last I checked, that was the Commander's quarters.

"So?"

"Do you have the keys?"

"No, but that's just because you stole them!"

"Do you have the temperament of a commander?"

"Not at this moment, no!"

"I don't think you've had it for a while!"

"What do you know?!"

"I know that you are not fit to be the Commander."

"YES! I! AM!"

"Then prove it!" Their blades locked, and Jane could feel Charles' size and strength overpowering her, so she pushed back, and twirled as she retreated.

"I AM THE ONE THAT LADY DARJEELING TRUSTED!"

"Is that so?" Charles asked with a coy smile.

"YES IT IS! I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN LEAD THIS TEAM! THAT'S WHY I HAVE THIS SWORD!"

"Is that really what you believe? Is that really what Elizabeth believed?"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SHE BELIEVED! I'M THE ONLY ONE SHE TRUSTED!"

"Elizabeth trusted every single member of her team, and many more. She knew her limitations, and worked around them! And so should you!"

"THAT'S STUPID! I CAN ONLY TRUST MYSELF WITH THIS! EMMA, HATSUMI, HINA. THEY ARE ALL USELESS! I CAN'T TRUST ANY ONE OF THEM! EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS BETRAYED AND LEFT ME! AND NOW YOU'RE TURNING ON ME!" As Jane screamed her reply, Charles took a step forward, knocking the sabre right out of her hand with the end of his cane. She was about to fall backwards from the sudden strike, but Charles caught her with his left arm, putting it behind her back, and letting his sword lie against her now exposed neck.

"Then you are no longer the girl I fell in love with." Charles said calmly. There was a sad look in his eye, and yet he was smiling. Jane didn't understand. "Please, please don't tell me that that is true? I don't know that I could go on without you." He lifted his left arm to pull her closer, before leaning in to kiss her. He removed the sword from its resting place against her neck, neatly returning it to the cane which was its scabbard behind her back. She could feel tears in her eyes, and her knees giving out from under her. She let her now exhausted arms hang limply, before she fell forward and embraced Charles with all her might.

"Charles!" She yelled with tears rolling down her cheeks, her chin resting on his shoulder while they embraced. "I'm so, so, sorry! I've been a horrible person! I've turned everyone against me, and I'm all alone! I thought I was the only one Darjeeling trusted, but I screwed it all up! Please, please don't leave me, I promise I can do better! I don't deserve someone as good as you, but please, please forgive me?" Charles grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away so he could look her in the eye. He smiled at her, but she could see that there were tears rolling down his cheeks too.

"Of course I won't leave you, and there is nothing to forgive. You are the person I love above all else in the world."

* * *

_**To Be Continued...** _


	11. Of Stress and Successors: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having realized the error of her ways with the help of Charles, Jane sets out to make her work as Commander more manageable, Charles tries to give advice on Sensha-Do, Emma gets to face off against an old nemesis, there's a debate on which member of the Bermuda-trio is better, and a new fresh-faced girl gets her turn in the spotlight. Oh, and Fitzwilliam gets a chance to show he isn't entirely an ass (sort-off) through a very thoughtful gift.

**Of Stress and Successors: Part 3**

* * *

"Then you are no longer the girl I fell in love with."

Twelve words. That's all it took. With those twelve words, the world stopped turning on its axis.

"Please, please don't tell me that that is true? I don't know that I could go on without you."

Charles leaned in to kiss her, and in that moment, Jane's soul left her body. Or at least that's what it felt like. She gazed upon the frozen diorama before her, Charles holding her in his arms, and their lips meeting as one. In that moment, every moronic mistake she had made during these past weeks flashed in her mind. Every night she had been unable to sleep, every day she had beaten herself up for not being good enough, every insult she had thrown at her friends when they tried to help. Every singular mistake passed before her eyes, and it made her sick to her stomach. _Is this really who I've become?_ she thought. _Have I truly become this mean-spirited and cold-hearted?_

The world slowly began to turn once more as the kiss ended, letting her fall forward and into Charles. She nuzzled herself as close as she could, and held him so tightly she thought he would burst. Tears rolled down her cheeks as if from waterfalls, and she neither tried nor wanted to stop them.

"Charles!" she said. "I'm so so sorry. I've been a horrible person. I've turned everyone against me, and I'm all alone. I thought I was the only one Darjeeling trusted, but I screwed it all up. Please, please don't leave me, I promise I can do better!" Through all her confessions, Charles remained silent. "I don't deserve someone as good as you, but please, please forgive me?" She could feel Charles' arms squeezing her back, before he gently grabbed her shoulders and lifted her off of him, meeting her eye.

"Of course I won't leave you," he said with a gentle smile. The smile he had showed her a million times before, and even if he showed it a million times more, she would still love every moment of it. "And there is nothing to forgive. You are the person I love above all else in the world." She didn't believe him. She couldn't. How could he possibly love someone who acted like she had?. She could only sniffle as she tilted her head to the side in a silent question. He gave a reaffirming nod and showed her the smile she loved again, before lifting a hand to caress her cheek. Even if she didn't think it had been possible, she could feel her tears flow even more than they had before. But it didn't matter. She got to look at that loving smile as Charles brushed her cheek with his thumb, moving the tears away. They sat like that for what must have been an eternity, simply embracing each other and smiling together. Words weren't necessary, they would have simply ruined the moment.

* * *

Still, after a while, Jane spoke, breaking the tender silence. "You never intended to surprise me, did you?" she said and gave him a knowing look. "Emma called you because I was being a bitch, and you answered her summons, didn't you?" It was true. She had been absolutely horrible to her friend. Calling in Charles to resolve the issue had been entirely justified.

"That's part of the truth. But to be honest, I was worried all on my own, long before Emma called. You wouldn't answer my calls, and you wouldn't schedule any dates, so of course I came when she called." He tenderly patted her head as he spoke. "So really, I killed two birds with one stone." There was that smile again. "Now that we've gotten all of that out of the way, please talk to me. What is it that's been bothering you so much? The Jane I know wouldn't let some responsibility get to her like this."

"You don't want to hear about it."

"Yes, I do," he said, determined. "I don't really care how insignificant or small the issue was, I just want you to talk to me about it." He grabbed her hand and held it tightly between them. "I just want us to talk, because I like the sound of your voice."

"I…" she began, before changing her mind and starting over. "It wasn't just the responsibility, it was everything. It was the responsibility, and the planning, and the meetings, and the training, and the matches, and the federation, and the school, and the endless pape…" She froze for a second. "The paperwork! Charles, give me the keys, I need to get it all don…" She was stopped by another tight hug from Charles.

"Would you just forget about the paperwork?" He said softly from beside her ear as he hugged her. "Right now, there is no paperwork. There's no meetings, there's no 'Q', there's no one else but us, ok? We are the only people in the world right now, and I desperately want you to spend this time with me, so please? Live in this fantasy with me a little longer, and then you'll get the keys." There it was again. Charles flashed the smile, and almost subconsciously, Jane felt calm and warm inside.

"Right," she answered with a sheepish smile. "There's just you, and me." She broke free from Charles' embrace, and got up from the floor, reaching for the sabre as she did. "But if we're the only two left on Earth, then I should be able to defend myself, shouldn't I?" She smiled at him as she got into something that didn't really resemble a stance. "So I'll make you a deal. You teach me how to fence like you, and I'll tell you about what's been bothering me."

"Well, that might be difficult," Charles chuckled as he heaved himself off of the floor. He wasn't nearly as graceful as her, but considering his limp, he did well enough. "I can teach you how to fence, but if you want to fence like _me_ , we'd be here until Christmas and still be far off." He smiled as he once again revealed the blade from his cane.

"Ha ha, very funny. You know what I mean." She gave the sword a playful slash in the air. "I want to at least know how you use this thing."

"Well, for starters, we need to do something about that stance. Pardon my French, but it is abysmally horrible." Charles placed his cane and sword on a nearby table, and walked over to behind Jane. "First of all, always face your opponent with your side. It makes you much harder to hit." He twisted her hips so that she was facing where he had been standing with her right side. "Secondly, keep your feet wide apart, but not too wide." He pushed her feet with his own to an acceptable distance. "Thirdly, don't lock your legs like that, always have some spring in your step." He gently pushed down on her shoulders to make her relax her knees. "And lastly," he leaned in and surprised her by giving her earlobe a playful nibble, "don't let your guard down."

"Hey, that's no fair!" she turned to face him, but he had already backed away to retrieve his own blade, laughing to himself as he did so.

"Come on then, get into a ready position, just like I showed you." She returned to the stance Charles had just demonstrated. "That's good. Now, since you have a sabre instead of a rapier, I can't quite teach you one-to-one, but we'll give it a try. Give the hilt a loose yet firm grip, and hold it kinda like this." He lifted his own sword, and Jane did her best to imitate him. "Good. Not perfect, but good. Now, I'm gonna try to strike high, then low, then high again, and you just try to block, ok?" She gave him a nod and readied herself. Just as he had promised, he slowly struck high, then low, then high, and she managed to block each of them.

"Did I do good?"

"Well, there's still room for improvement, but you did well enough." Charles smiled and readied himself again. "Now, I'm gonna do the same thing again, but faster this time, and you tell me what's been going on." She returned to the ready position, and nodded.

"There's just been so many things for me to keep track of, and I guess keeping an eye on everything all the time kinda got to me." She blocked the incoming strikes, and responded with a similar series of her own.

"I'll say," Charles replied. "So why did you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you keep track of it all?"

"Because I'm the Commander, stupid. It's my job to keep track of everything."  
"I'm not sure that it is. By the way, I'll try left, right and middle now, ok?"

"Of course it is, silly." She readied herself and nodded.

"Perhaps in a grander sense it is, but it's not your job to keep track of every meticulous detail."

"Yes it is. Lady Darjeeling even told me so before she left."

"Did she now?"

"Yes she did. She said that she left the team to me because I was the only one she could trust."

"Did she perhaps say something else as well?" Charles performed his promised attacks, and she blocked.

"No, that was pretty much it. I was feeling uneasy at taking over, like I didn't deserve it, and she explicitly told me that I was the only one who could do it."

"You know, despite having made fun of Emma and Elinor for a year, you really aren't that clever yourself sometimes. Now you try to get a hit in on me, and we'll see how it goes." Jane could feel sweat build up, and so she unbuttoned her shirt a bit to let some more air in.

"Oh am I now?" she said with incredulity. "Any particular example you'd like to bring up?" She readied herself, and launched into a carefully, at least it was in her mind, constructed series of slashes and stabs, but none of them landed.

"Did Elizabeth tell you that she trusted you with the team? Sure. But she said something else too, didn't she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You really are the absolute worst sometimes," Charles said with a sigh. _The one thing she actually could have made use of, and she didn't pay attention_ , he thought to himself. He had asked Elizabeth about their conversation in preparation for a talk like this. "Does the name Chester Nimitz ring a bell perhaps?" That was when it dawned on Jane. The thing Charles was trying to get her to remember.

"God, I really am a moron sometimes, aren't I?" Of course she would misunderstand Lady Darjeeling the one time she actually gave clear and helpful advice with her quotes. She let the tip of the sabre fall to the ground as she recited the lesson. "'Leadership consists of picking good people, and helping them do their best'" She chuckled. "I hung on her every word from that day, except for those. God I've been stupid. I really shouldn't have tried as hard as I did."

"Oh no, that's neither my point nor hers. You gave it your all, and that is commendable. The point is that you shouldn't have tried to do it by yourself. You have Vice-Commanders for a reason, and you should use them. Make use of Emma, of Hatsumi. Make use of all of your teammates if you can. The burden of command might hang on your shoulders and yours alone, but that doesn't mean you can't ask your friends to carry you some of the time."

"I really need to apologize to them all, don't I?" she asked, knowing the answer herself, but somehow she needed someone like Charles to say it before she could truly believe it.

"You do. And once they forgive you, and they will, _then_ you can launch into all the work again, knowing that you are not alone. Emma is, as we know, more clever than we give her credit for, and Hatsumi is equally so. I'm sure they wouldn't mind helping you keep the team in order, and perhaps they could even take a few meetings off your hands. Although I pity the girl who has to put up an argument against Emma."

"They will be a great help," Jane said as she thought over who she could ask to help her with what. "Any other nuggets of wisdom you care to dispense, o wise one?" He smiled at the joking title.

"Not much. I would however say you should try to find yourself a Charlie."

"I think I do well enough with just you, I don't need a second one," she laughed.

"No, not another 'Charles', I sure hope I'm more than enough for you. No, you need a 'Charlie'." Jane could only stare blankly at the suggestion.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Now it was Charles' turn to feel incredulous.

"A 'Charlie'? Charlie Young? From 'The West Wing'?" Jane clearly didn't understand despite his explanation, even though it was all very obvious to Charles. "Are you telling me we've dated for this long and I've never shown you 'The West Wing'? 98 awards, three times as many nominations?" Jane responded with a confused nod. "Oh my god," Charles said and sighed. "Next date-night, I'm showing you 'The West Wing', just so you know. It's like, one of the greatest TV-shows of all time." He looked back up at Jane. "Anyways, to get back to my point; Charlie Young is President Bartlet's personal aide, and helps make sure he gets the correct information at the correct time. He also helps schedule the President's workload, and overall makes sure he is fit to lead. You need someone like that. You need a 'Charlie' to help you keep track of all your work, and since it'd be a good idea to start training a successor as soon as possible, why not pick a first year? They can help keep all of the work under control, and keep you from rushing headlong into the wall like this again. It would also help prepare them for the work that is to come once you leave."

"I'll have to take it under consideration," Jane replied and lifted the sabre again, giving it a few slashes and thrusts in the air. "You know, this really isn't as difficult as you've made it out to be. I think you just wanted me to think you were good at _something_ ," she said with an air of smugness.

"Oh really?" Charles said, and within seconds he had struck the sabre from Jane's hand, hooked his leg behind her to trip her, and returned to facing her as she hit the floor, the tip of his blade under her chin. "That would be death for you in a real fight." He gave her a coy wink. "Still think I've been faking it?" He carefully lifted her cheek with his sword. "Or am I perhaps just that good, my dear?"

"You show-off," she said, rolling her eyes and giving him a smile in return. "You boys are all the same; insecure and can't even take a joke."

* * *

Charles returned the blade to his cane, and reached out a hand to help Jane back on her feet. Once she was up, she walked over to pick up the sabre Charles had knocked out of her hand, and returned it to it's scabbard. She felt a lot better, both physically and mentally.

"Well, that was one hell of a workout at least," she said and hung herself over Charles' back as if she was a coat.

"Pfft, that was nothing," he scoffed as he gently shook her off of him. He picked up his tie and the jacket of his suit, and threw Jane her sweater. "Wanna go back to the apartment now?" he said and jingled the keys before her. "I'll let you fill in some forms?" He feigned pleading in his eyes, but Jane just rolled her eyes at the joke.

"Very funny, but no. You win. I'm not setting foot in that study anymore tonight at least." Still, they made their way back to the apartment.

As Jane entered, she saw the large still-wrapped gift sitting on the dining table. She had completely blocked the existence of it from her mind. "Is...is that for me?" she asked of Charles.

"Unless there's another Jane I'm dating that lives here and recently got promoted to Supreme Team Commander, then yes." He beamed at her. Finally the Jane he knew was back. She walked around the table a few times, just observing the gift from as many angles as she could. It was almost like watching a kitten make a new discovery. "Are you gonna open it, or just make us both dizzy?"

"Calm down, I'm trying to guess," she said and stroked her chin. "Is it a model Churchill?"

"First of all, if I told you, what would have been the point of wrapping it, and secondly, no it isn't." Jane bent down and looked at the box some more, taking all she knew about Charles into account as she pondered what it might be.

"Is it a typewriter?" She looked at Charles in disbelief as she asked. While she didn't put it past him to give her a typewriter as a gift, she didn't see him thinking she would use it.

"Nope, but you're getting warmer."

"Alright, is it a…"

"Just open the damned thing."

"Alright, alright, I'll open it," she said under her breath. "Geeze, you just don't have any sense of wonder, do you?" She carefully unwrapped the gift, and inside found a large wooden case, and cardboard box lying on top.

"I'd open the wooden one first if I were you," Charles commented from behind her, and so she did as instructed. She lifted the white cardboard box aside, and unlatched the lid of the wooden case, carefully lifting it on well-oiled hinges to reveal a record player built into the box. She turned to face Charles, her mouth agape.

"You're giving me this?" she said in disbelief. "You're giving me your record player? Charles, I...I...I don't know what to say…"

"I wouldn't say anything just yet," he said with a smile. "And it's not actually my record player. I've got a different make and model, but that's beside the point."

"Then… where…"

"So you know how the fact that my family has more money than we could ever spend kinda makes gift-buying lose all meaning for me?" Jane nodded. The subject had come up not only during Christmases, but birthdays and Valentines' as well. "Well, I actually got myself a part-time job during the winter, and saved every single penny so I could get this for you. It's custom-made to work in the field, so you can bring it with you to matches and other stuff. Although I wouldn't recommend using it in the _Victory_." Jane didn't quite know what to say. Charles could have easily just bought something like this for her, which would have been a nice enough gesture, but the fact that he had gotten himself a job, _specifically_ to be able to buy it with money he had made himself, made it one of the most thoughtful things he had ever done.

"I...I… You didn't...You shouldn't have…" She could barely speak, not to mention make clear her feelings of gratitude.

"Hang on," he said with a smug grin. "We're not done yet." He reached over her, and pushed the white cardboard box closer to her. "Open it." She looked for a few seconds at Charles, unsure how he could possibly expect to top this, but soon enough she turned back to the table, and began unhooking the tabs on the white box. As she unfolded the top of it, she could see about a half-dozen thin envelopes inside. She reached a thumb inside, and carefully pulled up the front one. It was a record, an album to be specific. But just not any album. It was the first album Charles had ever introduced Jane to, and it was her absolute favorite in all the world. A silver guitar against a cloudy sky adorned the cover. As she flipped through the other albums in the box, she saw several other of her favorites, as well as a few of Charles'. For a second she was lost in thought, remembering the many afternoons she had spent in Charles' room back on land just listening to him talk on and on about the many western artists and songs he liked, and letting him introduce her to them in turn. She had loved every moment of it, and now he was doing it for her once more. She pulled one of the albums out completely, and lifted the record out, before carefully setting it down on the turnstile and putting the needle in its place. She flipped the switch, and as the sweet tickle of ivory piano keys made its way into the room from the record, it was as if she was back in Charles' room again.

_It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can, easily hide..._

She turned back to Charles, and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you so much Charles. I'll treasure it forever. I can't even begin to explain how happy I am." She reached up, and gave him a long and deep kiss. "And even if I don't think I deserve such a nice gift after what I've done, I'm still really, really glad that you did all that for me."

"Don't mention it. To be honest, it was actually Fitz who gave me the idea." Jane pulled away a little in shock.

"Really?"

"Yup." Charles pulled his auburn hair back with one hand and stroked his chin with the other, performing a pretty stunning impression of Fitzwilliam as he spoke. "I don't know man? She's poor, you're slightly less poor. Just get a job and buy her stuff with the money or something. Chicks love that kinda stuff." He chuckled at the impression as he returned his hands to her back. Hearing that Fitz had described their circumstances as 'poor and slightly less poor' instantly made the idea more believable in Jane's mind. "If it's any consolation, I was just as surprised." He smiled and held her tight. "He's also the one who made sure I could use one of St. George's helicopters to get here."

"Wait, that's how you got here?"

"Well of course, silly." He played with one of her braids as he spoke. "The _Audacity_ is miles and miles away, and neither we nor the _Ark Royal_ make port until next week. How did you think I got here?" That's when it dawned on Jane, and she felt a torrent of sadness rip through her.

"Oh," she said with disappointment in her voice. "So, I'm guessing your pilot is waiting to take you back to St. George, huh?"

"Oh, don't worry. He left as soon as I stepped off the chopper. I'm not expected back until tomorrow night." He threw her a sly smile. He had planned all of this like it was a heist film, and just like a heist film, it had gone off without a hitch. She reached up to kiss him again, if nothing else to wipe the smug grin off his face.

"So," she said between kisses, "What you're saying is that you would like to stay the night?" She carefully walked forward as he backed away in perfect unison.

"Well, I did consider the possibility." Now it was his turn to kiss her, as he put his arms around her.

"I see," she said. They both knew where this was heading. "But what sort of role model to the girls of St. Gloriana would I be if I was caught sharing a bed with a boy?"

"I suppose that wouldn't look very good, now would it?" he said with feigned thoughtfulness. "Perhaps if we keep very quiet?"

"I guess that could work," she said with a smile. "It _is_ very cold outside, so I couldn't possibly push you away at this hour, could I?"

"It would be very rude of you. And it would be very irresponsible of me to catch pneumonia and add to your worries." She took a final step forward as he spoke, and he fell backwards onto the bed, pulling her on top of him as he fell.

"Well then, it seems I simply have no option but to let you stay." She put a hand on his rosy cheek and kissed him, but just as he was about to provide a witty response, Jane sank down on top of him, snoring. He smiled to himself, and carefully pushed his unconscious girlfriend off of him. He tucked Jane into the bed, and walked over to the living room, throwing the jacket of his suit onto a nearby armchair. There was more than enough room in the bed beside Jane for him, but he wasn't about to cause any misunderstandings. For all he knew, a staff-member or other student might walk into the room in the morning and jump to conclusions. _At least she'll get a good night's sleep for once_ , he thought as he looked at the love of his life, a peaceful look on her face as she slept soundly.

* * *

It was already well into the morning when Emma woke up on Sunday. She groaned against the light that made its way into her room through the curtains, and groggily got up from her bed. She yawned and rubbed her eyes for a few seconds, before looking at her phone. Her stomach groaned in unison with her as she reached for it. She needed breakfast. Unlocking her phone made it clear that it was almost lunchtime, but the prospect of food quickly fled from her mind as her attention was grabbed by a single notification. Her brother had sent her a text in the night.

"Close air support delivered. Defenses destroyed. All clear for armoured advance"

She leapt out of bed with a beaming smile on her face, typing her reply as she changed out of her pajamas.

"Roger, XXX corps is on the way, pin target in place until armoured support arrives"

She hit send, gave a low chuckle at the small in-joke the siblings shared, and began to make herself ready. Less than half-an-hour had passed before she was dressed, showered, and ready, and began to make her way up towards the top floor of the dorms, and the Commander's quarters.

* * *

Jane was awoken by beams of light hitting her face, but she just nuzzled herself deeper into the pillow. Then she heard a noise, and clumsily reached to the bedside table to turn off her alarm clock. The strange thing was, she couldn't find it, no matter how hard she fumbled around. Groggily she opened one eye and looked to where she was rummaging around on the table, and sure enough, there was no alarm clock. In fact, the apartment was completely devoid of sound, except for the faint music emanating from the living room. She slowly pushed herself up from the bed, yawned, and stretched her arms. She threw a sleepy look towards the window, and saw the beautiful blue sky outside, with the sun shining down from far above the _Ark Royal_. That was when it started to hit her. She was still in her uniform, or rather parts of it. Her shirt was slightly unbuttoned, not to mention wrinkled beyond recognition, perfectly matching the state of her skirt, while her sweater was lying folded up on a nearby chair. Memories of the previous evening slowly crept back into her mind, but they were all thrown aside by the realization that she had overslept. She leapt up and out of bed and rushed into the living room.

"Morning," Charles said and raised his cup of coffee in her direction as he leaned back in an armchair. "How are you feeling?"

"What time is it? And where is my alarm clock? Or my phone for that matter?" she asked him with slight panic.

"Don't care, I've taken it, and I turned it off and put it in the kitchen." He took a sip of his coffee, and returned his attention to the book he was reading. "So I ask again: How are you feeling?" he asked without moving his eyes from the book before him.

"I..." Jane began, before she actually knew how she was feeling. She had to admit, she felt much more clear-headed and full of energy than she had felt in weeks. And for the first time in a week she didn't have an issue keeping her eyelids open. "I guess I'm feeling pretty good and well-rested," she answered and looked away blushing, a sheepish smile on her face.

"That's good to hear. Remember this feeling, and to get a good night's sleep, at least once a fortnight or so. Ok? But, man cannot live on sleep alone," he said and slammed the book closed, tossing it on top of the sofa, "I went out and got some food for us. Takeshi sends his best." He got up from the armchair and put an arm behind her, leading her to the kitchen. Lined up on the kitchen table was not only freshly brewed coffee, but a cornucopia of different dishes for them to take part in. Far too much for just the two of them.

"We really should go back there soon. It's been far too long," Jane said out loud.

"It really has. They miss you," Charles answered with a smile.

"They do not," she said in disbelief and looked at him.

"They do. Ed and Larry even asked if everything was ok."

"They really are sweet sometimes, aren't they?"

"They are." Charles pushed her toward the table and motioned for her to sit down. "Now come on. Let's dig in, before it gets cold." They both sat down, and for the first time in days Jane truly realized how hungry she was.

"You really are a try-hard sometimes, do you know that?" she asked with a giggle as she reached over to help herself to some fries.

"Of course. No one's gotten anywhere in the world by being content." She just rolled her eyes and smiled at the answer. They both ate, talked and laughed for a while, until there was a knock on the door. Jane started to rise from her chair, but Charles gestured for her to stay and eat as he left the kitchen. After a minute or so, he returned, and walking behind him was Emma. Jane dropped her fork in shock the moment she saw her friend, and immediately got up to hug her.

"Emma! I'm so sorry for everything I said, and everything I did, and everything I put you through these last few weeks." Emma returned the hug, and put a hand through her hair as she answered.

"It's fine, Jane. I know you didn't mean any of it."

"Maybe now I don't, but at the time I really did." She was feeling like such an idiot. "You really should be a lot more mad at me."

"Don't worry about it. I have two whole years to mess with you. That ought to be compensation enough, don't you think?" Jane looked up from Emma's shoulder, and saw the mischievous smile on her friends lips. Everything might be alright between them, but Jane knew she would be served appropriate revenge all throughout her second and third years. Such was her punishment, and she could do nothing but face the music. "So, let's put that behind us. Seeing as you realize you were being a 'Jasmine', I really don't see the point in blaming you." Emma shifted her gaze from Jane to the kitchen table behind her, and seeing the copious food laid out, her attention was instantly put to other things. "Hey, you've been to the 'Cav'?! Sweet!" She let Jane go to take a seat, and didn't even wait for Charles or Jane to return to their own before chowing down.

* * *

Once they were done eating, Jane and Emma made their way to the study, while Charles remained in the living room. According to him it was because he wanted to finish his book, but they all knew he just didn't want to intrude on their meeting.

"Wow," Emma said and whistled as she saw the piles of forms. "I can understand why you felt under pressure."

"Yeah…" Jane moved one of the piles aside to give Emma a place to sit, before taking a seat behind the desk. "It's a lot. It's not unworkable, but I need to split my responsibilities between some people. You and Hatsumi are of course top of the list, but if possible, I want to bring some of the other commanders in as well."

"No problem. I'll talk with Hatsumi after this and explain the situation. Should I give her an apology from you while I'm at it?"

"No, I'll give her one myself when I see her tomorrow. For now let's just focus on breaking the work down to something that's manageable."

"Got it," Emma said and got up to write down a list of Jane's many responsibilities on a whiteboard that stood in the corner. "Which one of these do you want to deal with the least?" she asked and ran her hand up and down the list.

"Well, getting the Student Council President to stop hounding me would be nice."

"Done," Emma said with a smug grin, and wrote a great big 'E' next to the task on the list.

"You sure? I was gonna ask Hatsumi to deal with it. She's got experience with the council since last year…"

"Oh, I'm _sure_. I'll make sure to sort everything out. When's the next time they expect you to show up?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," Jane sighed. "Apparently they want to know why we pay what we do for ammunition, even though we've actually reduced our spending since last year."

"Consider it handled. Anything else?"

"I wouldn't mind not having to deal with 'Q'. She's kinda scary, and I think having someone with more knowledge of the technical side of tanks talk to her is better."

"Do you think Ruhuna would be up for it?"

"Maybe? That is, if she can forgive my behavior these last few weeks."

"Let's, for the moment, assume everyone will, and then burn that bridge when we get to it." She put down an 'R' and a small steering wheel next to 'Dealing with Q-branch'.

* * *

They kept on working through the list for another hour or so, and suddenly the workload wasn't as bad as it had at first seemed. Would Jane have less free-time than she had had during her first year? Sure. But at least she wouldn't be kept sleepless for weeks on end. She still kept a great deal of the work on her own plate, to avoid the appearance of her simply relying on her subordinates and ignoring her responsibilities, but it did become much more freeing seeing it all spread out like this.

"Now there's just one issue left," Jane said and rested her chin on her hands as he leaned forward. "How in the hells am I going to maintain Lady Darjeeling's legacy?"

"Didn't we just plan for all of that?" Emma asked in exasperation. "Like, we literally drew up a schedule and the whole thing?"

"Sure, having split the workload out will make it easier, but I'm talking about her sense of Sensha-Do. Her elegant style, her way of command, all of it. I could never command like she did, and to be honest, that's the thing that's been eating at me the most." She glanced up to the shelf where Charles had returned Earl Grey's sabre to its proper place.

"Yeah, that will be tricky. I sure as heck won't be able to help, and even if Hatsumi might have been the Commander's biggest admirer, well, besides from that Kilimanjaro-girl, I'm not sure she can help you out in this regard."

"Which returns us to the question at hand. 'How do I command like Lady Darjeeling did?'"

"Do you have to?" Charles said from where he had snuck up to lean against the wall separating the study from the living room. "Command like she did, I mean?"

"What…" Jane stammered out. "Of, of course I do. That's what she put me here to do, to protect her legacy and continue her work…"

"That sounds a lot like the Jane I met last night. We don't like that Jane, remember? I'd be happy to go another round if we need to knock her down a peg again." He tapped his cane on the wooden floor and gave a smug smile. He was right of course, but still. Lady Darjeeling had asked Jane to take over the team and continue her work.

"Actually…" Emma said and stroked her chin, a thoughtful look in her eye. "It pains me to say this, but maybe he's not wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember the Cauldron? Remember how she talked about wanting to see her own way of Sensha-Do?"

"Vaguely, yes?"

"Maybe Lady Darjeeling didn't want you to continue the work she had done up until she left, but the work she could never complete? She was only Commander for a year after all, whereas you have two whole years to shape and reforge the team. What if she actually wanted you to find a new way forward for the team, and trusted you to figure it out on your own?"

"That will never work…"

"Why not? Erika and Koume seem to be doing it at Kuromorimine, Éclair did it at Maginot, Miho Nishizumi changed all of Sensha-Do at Ooarai, BC-Freedom seem to not be on the verge of imploding anymore, Chi-Ha-Tan and Anzio have _somehow_ become competent. It's not like there isn't precedent of a school changing their way and reaching new and greater heights as a result. And it's not like we would be throwing away years upon years of tradition. She changed the entire team around once she took over from Lady Earl Grey."

"Hmm," Jane leaned back in her chair and pondered the possibility. "But even if I did change everything around, what would I even turn the team into? How would I even command it?"

"I have a suggestion," Charles said with enthusiasm. "If it's welcome, that is." Jane and Emma looked at each other for a few seconds, before Emma addressed her brother.

"Trusting a boy with Sensha-Do? Well, if anything it'll be a surprise to the competition."

"Very funny," Charles replied as he walked over to Jane's desk, and grabbed a notebook and pen, scribbling furiously. He made his way over to the whiteboard and ripped the page out, before fastening it to the board with a magnet. Written in big letters across the page was four words.

**Let Jane be Jane**

Jane looked at the piece of paper, then to Charles, then to Emma, and back at the paper.

"Well, it may be poetic, but it doesn't really solve the issue," she said in an attempt to be diplomatic.

"Sure it does," Charles said defensively. "Just be yourself. Does it have to be more complicated than that?"

"Well, we can at the least keep it in mind until we figure something else out," Emma said and shrugged. "You go get back to your book, Bro. Leave the tankery to people who know what they're doing."

"I thought it was nice at the least," he said, defeated. "But for your information, I've already finished it, and was just going to say goodbye before heading to my ride."

"You're leaving?" Jane said, not really having thought about the fact at all during the day.

"Well, yeah. I've got classes tomorrow, and my pilot is probably bored out of his mind waiting for me. I may be Student Council President, but I don't have endless goodwill to pull from." Jane got up from her seat, and walked over to give Charles a hug and a kiss goodbye.

"Thank you," she said in a low voice. "Thank you so, so much for coming and helping me realize how horrible I was being. And thanks again for the gift. I'll treasure it."

"Don't mention it," he said as he gave her a peck on the forehead. "But next date night…"

"I know, you get to show me... whatever that show was called."

"'The West Wing'," he said and sighed. "I swear, it's like herding children sometimes. It's one of the most decorated shows in all of history."

"Right. Next time we meet, you get to show me 'The West Wing'. And I'll probably ask for a few more lessons, if you don't mind."

"I think we can make something happen on that front as well." He turned to leave, but stopped and turned back to face the two girls, a mischievous smile on his lips. "Do you know this saying?" Jane and Emma both groaned at the imitation. "'The number of hours we have together is actually not so large. Please linger near the door uncomfortably instead of just leaving. Please forget your scarf in my life and come back later for it.'"

"I... do not, actually," Jane said. She had seemed to become an expert in sayings and quotes during her time as Elizabeth's understudy, but this one was new to her. She had to admit, it was quite striking for the situation at hand "Enlighten us, if you would."

"It's by Mikko Harvey, a poet. And it's how I feel whenever I need to leave your side." He gave her a final kiss, patted Emma on the back a few times, and began to make his way towards the door, the helicopter, and St. George.

* * *

Once Charles and Emma had left, Jane convinced herself not to dive straight back into her work. She took a shower and changed into a set of fresh clothes, before taking a walk around campus in the refreshing breeze of the Sunday afternoon. As she got back to her apartment, she threw a selection of the leftovers from lunch into the oven to reheat, and once she had eaten, only then did she return to her study. She put a cup of coffee beside her on the desk, and began looking through the files on the many new cadets once more. Charles' advice from the previous night rang in her ear, and she slowly began looking for candidates to be her 'Charlie'. Her aide, her protége, her eventual successor.

As the sun set over the Ark Royal and a red sky blossomed outside her window, Jane found herself going back to a single file time and time again. As she inspected the attached photograph, there was something familiar about her. The girl, looking half-terrified in her school photo, had green eyes and long red hair collected in a braid not unlike the one Hatsumi usually had. After a while, Jane began to recognize her. "Isn't this the girl I yelled at during the meeting?" she asked herself, unsure. If she was, there might be some issue in getting her to sign on to work so closely with her Commander. "Well, let's burn that bridge when I get to it," she said, parroting Emma's made-up saying. She continued to work her way through the file. "Yoshimura, you say? Emiya Yoshimura..." she mumbled. Something about the name sounded familiar, as if she had met a Yoshimura before. Seeing as she couldn't place the name even after 10 minutes of racking her brain, she decided it must have been a coincidence or her misremembering, and continued.

The girl was short, coming in a few inches shorter than Jane herself, but her lack of height was more than compensated for by her grades. As Jane inspected the girls results on the admissions test, she was flabbergasted. _I think only Assam ever had better scores than this_. Considering the scores, Jane was not very surprised to see that the girl had gotten in on a scholarship, much like herself. The scant pieces of information the file had on the girls family and past made it clear that she came from less than ideal circumstances. She was in no way poor, but neither did her family seem to have the endless reserves of Charles and Emma's family. Her upbringing seemed to be fairly average, to put it bluntly.

But still, there was one small piece of information that bugged Jane. "Here's the kicker..." she said aloud to no one in particular. "Hometown... Hometown: Yokosuka…" She put the file down and took a sip of her coffee, looking out through the living room window as she considered the detail. "Then why are you here?" Students of school-carriers almost exclusively enrolled in the ship tied to their hometown. Jane and Emma had both grown up in Yokohama, and so had obviously enrolled at St. Gloriana, whereas students in for example Kumamoto tended to go to Kuromorimine. _So why are you not at Shamrock?_ _What is your reason for studying here?_ The girl was clearly a mystery, a puzzle if you would. And Jane liked puzzles. She was going to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.

* * *

Emma cracked her knuckles as she waited. She was sitting on a bench outside of the hall where the Student Assembly met, waiting to be called in. After a few minutes, the door opened and a girl in black robes motioned for her to follow. "The Assembly will see you now," she said.

Emma got up from the bench, and followed the girl wordlessly through a short hallway and into the Student Assembly. The room was lined with benches, each row rising slightly behind the one before, almost like an amphitheater. In the benches sat representatives from every class and club aboard the Ark Royal, even if a majority of the seats were empty. The members of the assembly rarely participated in these extra hearings into no real misconduct. A central walkway extended between the rows of benches to a table with an empty chair, where she was expected to sit, and then opening up to an open central area where the members of the Student Council were seated. In the absolute center of this faux parliament sat a girl Emma knew far too well, in the largest chair of them all. Seated in the Student Council president's chair, or the chair of " _The First Lady of the Treasury, Prime minister of the Cabinet, and Speaker of the Student Assembly_ " as the title was officially known, was a tall third-year with glasses, and blue hair pulled back in a ponytail. Sitting in the President's chair, was Aoi Tokujira. Still, Emma calmly walked to her seat, and sat down. She had prepared herself for all of this.

"How good of you to show up, Miss…" Tokujira said with feigned politeness, knowing full well who she was.

"Rosehip, Your Excellency. Rosehip of the _Defiance_ , Commander, Vice-Commander to the Lady Orange Pekoe, and Commander of the Crusader Cavalry Regiment." Emma made sure to mention every single title she held, seeing as she had taken most of them from Tokujira.

"Yes, yes, that's all noted." There was clear distaste in Tokujira's voice. "I'm saddened to see the Lady could not appear before us in person at this hearing."

"Lady Orange Pekoe has numerous responsibilities that call upon her time, Your Excellency. I'm sure you can understand. I will however be more than happy to answer any questions Your Excellency or any other member of this Assembly may have in her stead. I speak with the full confidence of my Lady, and the entirety of the Sensha-Do team."

"Very well then. I must say though, I am rather disappointed." Tokujira glared at one of her "ministers", who flipped a few pages in the binder before her, and began to speak.

"The subject of this hearing is the following expense, taken from the budget of St. Gloriana's Sensha-Do team, on the 12th of this month." A copy of the team's financial audit appeared on the two large screens beside the council, so that the members of the Assembly could see the numbers being discussed. "It is noted in the financial audit as 'CCT-Shells, 136', at a rate of 2873 yen per shell, for a total sum of 390,728 yen. The expense is noted as having been paid to 'JNSFA', and the account of 36478-25. Would you please explain the nature of this expense to the members of the Assembly, Miss Rosehip?"

"Certainly," Rosehip said and rose from her seat. "Honored members of the Student Assembly, the expense noted here is entirely correct. On the 12th of this month, I myself personally placed an order of 136 additional CCT-shells, CCT being short for Carbon composite-treated, at a cost of 390,728 yen fro the teams reserves. As the minister has accurately described, that puts the price of each individual shell at 2873 yen. The sum was paid in full from the team's account to the Japanese National Sensha-Do Federation Armory, the only licensed purveyor of ammunition meeting Federation standard, and who bear the account-number 36478-25. It should be noted that with the additional support being offered for Sensha-Do teams, and to keep pricing competitive with outside purveyors for sports like Tankathlon, the price per shell has actually dropped somewhat since last year, previously coming in at 3246 yen per shell. CCT-shells, as any tanker will tell you, are the main type of ammunition used in tankery as it is specifically engineered to interact with the damage-calculating computer systems in athletic tanks, as well as the internal carbon coating to ensure that the crew is unharmed. I don't have the exact numbers before me, but I believe the ratio for the purchase was 74 armor-piercing shells, 26 blanks, and 36 high-explosive ones. Though if the Assembly wishes to take part in the exact numbers, those can certainly be retrieved.

"And what is the nature of the use of these 'CCT-shells', Miss Rosehip?"

"We use them for both practice and official matches in all capacities. Our sport is based on the precise loading, aiming and firing of these shells, and so having an adequate reserve is a necessary part of participating on the level that we do. That, of course, being on the level of being semi-finalists or better in the Sensha-Do Federation's past twelve National championships." She turned back to face Tokujira, smiling as she did. "A ranking which the team is respected for not only aboard this fine school-carrier, but also in the wider Federation. From the _George Washington_ to the _Kiev_ , from the _Zuikaku_ to the _Aquila_ , the name 'St. Gloriana' is respected and honored. What more could this Assembly possibly ask of our school's proud team?"

A general murmur of agreement and appreciation made its way through the present members. One of them stood up.

"The floor recognizes the member representing the Tennis Club" Tokujira said, doing her best to not seem furious with Rosehip's flawless testimony.

"Thank you, Your Excellency. The Tennis Club moves that the matter regarding the expense from the Sensha-Do team's budget, made on the 12th of this month, be accepted as valid and no longer under investigation by this Assembly."

"Class 3-E seconds the Tennis Club's motion." Another member called out. This was far from the first time Tokujira had called upon the Sensha-Do team to explain an expense in the vain hope that there would be any trace of wrongdoing, and it showed on the faces of the members.

"The floor recognizes the Tennis Club's motion," Tokujira answered. "All those in favor?" A resounding aye made itself heard. "All those opposed?" A few scant nay's could be heard, but nowhere near enough for Tokujira to claim they had a majority. Emma could see Tokujira sigh and glare at her subordinates before continuing. "The Ayes have it, and the hearing into this matter is officially at an end." She let her gavel hit the desk before her, and the members of the Assembly began to disperse.

* * *

"Your Excellency," Emma said as she walked up to Tokujira's chair. "Could I perhaps have a moment of your time, to speak in private?" Tokujira could only glare at her, but once the room had emptied, she sighed and gave in, slapping the back of the head of the girl who had led the hearing. She motioned for Emma to follow, and lead her into her office in a room to the side of the Assembly hall. She closed the door with a bang after Emma had joined her.

"What," she said with fury, "do you want, you peasant?"

"Nothing much," Emma said and pretended not to notice, fidgeting with a pen she found on Tokujira's desk.

"Then why are you here? Where's that little simpleton hiding? She could at the least show up to defend her and her predecessor's beloved team herself, instead of hiding behind the skirts of a two-faced speed-riddled bitch like yourself." Emma put the pen back as she walked over to the window, and leaned on the window sill as she replied, as calmly as she could.

" _Lady_ _Orange Pekoe_ ," she said, emphasizing the title in full, "has better things to do than to come before your inquisition twice a week. Keep it up all you want, I don't mind showing up for this little circus, but be honest with me Aoi, how do you think things went today?"

"I… you… It would have gone splendidly if you just didn't..."

"It seems to me," Emma nonchalantly interrupted, "most of the Assembly is turning against you. Has been for some time I'd say." She inspected her nails as she spoke, noticing a small crack beginning to form in one. "I don't think my showing up and delivering a perfect defence of how we spend our budget, which by the way, _you know_ is completely within the bounds of our agreement with the school, helped your position in any way, shape or form." She turned to face Tokujira, who at this point might as well be frothing at the mouth. "I'll happily do this dance with you as many times as you want, and more yet. 'Cause I'm fully aware that every time I come up here, you lose more face and power than any punch I could ever deliver would lose you. I can show up every day, and within a month, you'd be the laughingstock of the school." She slowly walked towards Tokujira and the door. "And considering that me and Lady Orange Pekoe have both the support of the greater student body, _and_ the ear of the Principal and Alumni Association, I don't see that working out well for you. Call off your witch hunt, don't call it off, I don't give a damn to be honest. You can try all you want to get revenge on me. Whichever way you come at us, I will make sure to destroy you. But Hunting season on the Sensha-Do team is over. Do we understand each other?" She stopped as she passed Tokujira, who stood silent in her anger. " _Do we understand each other_?" she repeated, glancing at the third-year without turning to face her. Tokujira stared daggers at her, but after a few moments answered through gritted teeth.

"Perfectly…"

"Good," Emma said, and patted her foe on the shoulder before she walked to the door. "Oh, and one more thing. The Commander is my best friend. She's a sweet girl, she's got a good heart. She doesn't hold grudges." She opened the door and turned to look Tokujira right in the eye. "That's what she's got me for." Emma left the small office, and closed the door behind her, hearing Tokujira's furious ranting from beyond it as she began to make her way back down to the Sensha-Do teams garage. Emma's job here was done.

* * *

"Hey, did you see the match between 'University Selection' and 'Kurogane Industry' last night?"

"Yeah, that was so cool. The Bermuda's are absolutely unstoppable. Especially when they broke through Kurogane's line at the end."

"Azumi is the best. I really hope I get to meet her one day."

"What are you talking about? Rumi's the brains of the operation. Without her, they would be finished!"

"You're both wrong! Megumi is the MVP of the team, you screwballs."

"She is not!"

"She is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Hey, Yoshimura!" Emiya looked up from her desk and faced the ongoing argument her three classmates were having. "Settle this for us! Who is the best tanker?!"

"Yeah! You're on the school team, and your sister's a commander isn't she? So you should be able to settle this." She looked at each of her classmates in turn, panic in her eye, much like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I...uh…"

"Come on, you know it's Megumi, right!"

"Stop trying to push her to answer in your favor! And besides, Azumi is the best, clear as day!"

"I've told you, Rumi is the lynchpin of the team, and Yoshimura knows I'm right."  
"So who's right?!" the three asked her in unison. "Who's the greatest tanker?"

"I...uh…" she started again, not sure that her answer would solve anything. "I-I actually...uh… I actually think... I think N-Naomi is the best."

"Oh," her friends said one after another. "Yeah, I can see that." "She is one of the best shots in the league after all." "You really know your stuff Yoshimura." Emiya just gave a sheepish smile as she blushed at the support.

"Uhm...T-thanks…"

Emiya Yoshimura had been sitting at her desk in the classroom when a few of the classmates she was sitting next to began debating the match from last night. She had watched it live on her computer of course, even if she mostly had it on in the background while she did her homework. The debate quickly started up again however, considering she hadn't actually settled anything with her answer, but it was soon silenced by the three turning to face the sound of a door sliding open.

"Oh…" someone, sounded like Umi, said with a surprised voice. All of the chatter from her classmates died in an instant as a familiar voice spoke.

"Excuse me. I'm very sorry to intrude, but is Emiya Yoshimura perhaps here?" It was the calm voice of Lady Orange Pekoe, and immediately Emiya froze in her seat. The Commander must have been way angrier at her for the mistake at last week's meeting than Emiya thought if she had come all the way to her classroom to berate her for it.

"Uhh… Yeah…" Umi said in response, taken aback at the mere Commander's mere presence. "Hey, Yoshimura… the uh… the Sensha-Do commander wants to see you." Emiya looked up from the desk in front of her, where she had kept her attention squarely focused in an attempt to not stick out. And just as she expected; at the door stood Lady Orange Pekoe herself in tank uniform. _I am so completely screwed_ , she thought to herself as she got up from her seat.

"Co...Commander. Wh-what gives us the honor?" she said nervously.

"Do you have a minute?" The Commander said matter-of-factly and gestured to the hall. "I need to speak with you, alone if possible." Emiya made her way to the door and followed the Commander out into the hall.

"Good luck Yoshimura," Umi whispered as she passed her.

"Well, uh…the thing is..." she said once the door closed behind her, squirming from the uncertainty. "O-our next period is about to start, so I really need to be back in class in a few minutes."

"No, you don't," the Commander replied and put a hand on her back and began to lead her down the corridor. "I had a word with your teacher and explained the circumstances, so you've been excused until after the lunch break." _Oh crap…_ She was most certainly screwed if the teacher had signed off on this as well. And she still wasn't quite sure what these 'circumstances' were. The Commander had said that everything was fine. Was she here for something else? Had the Commander found out that she accidentally put diesel in the _Vigilant_ instead of petrol at yesterday's practice?

"O-oh," she stammered. "W-well then, I-I suppose I don't have an e-excuse." _This was to be the end of her._ She was sure of it. She was to be kicked out of the team, expelled from the school she had worked so hard to get into, and be sent packing in a lifeboat.

"Great. Come with me, and let me treat you to lunch." The Commander continued down the hall as Emiya just stood there in stunned silence. Treat her to lunch? Was this some form of formality? A final meal before she was kicked out of the team mere weeks after she had joined?

"Are you coming? Or are you perhaps not hungry yet?" The Commander turned to look at her with a quizzical smile.

"N-no, Commander. I-I'm coming…" She made her way down the hall and followed the Commander out of the school and towards the city.

As they walked, Emiya did her best to keep up with the Commander's brisk pace, but even if she had been walking side-by-side with her, she wouldn't have gotten a word in. Lady Orange Pekoe barely let a breath pass without speaking on some new topic, whether it was the weather, some random fact about a building or fountain they had just passed, or asking how Emiya's studies were going, and then moving on to something else before she had time to answer. After a 15-minute walk, the Commander turned and stopped in front of an old-looking brick building with a sign hanging above the door. The sign had a smiling red-coat soldier sitting on top of a tank.

"Here we are then," she said and gestured to the door. " _The Laughing Cavalier_ , the finest pub on-board, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"

* * *

The Commander pushed the great oak door open and walked inside, Emiya following nervously behind. Inside was a pub in the English style. The floor was made of stone, and the large room contained a grand bar, wooden booths along the walls, and tables and chairs scattered across the floor. The room was almost entirely empty, except for two elderly men focusing intently at a game of backgammon on a table. Emiya remained in the entrance-way after having closed the door, but the Commander walked in with apparent familiarity, pulling up a chair next to the two men, neither of them paying her any attention.

"Really boys? I'm gone for almost two months, and even hear rumours that you worry about me, and still, I don't get so much as a greeting. You two really know how to break a girl's heart." The two men looked up in unison, smiles spreading across their faces.

"Jane!" one of them said. "You can't just surprise us like that, or you'll end up with heart attacks eating at your conscience. How are you, my girl?"

"Yeah, where have you been all these weeks?" the other asked. "We tried to ask Charles if everything was alright when he was here a few days ago, but he just said you were tired. You're not working too hard are you?" Both of the men had a hand on the Commander's shoulders at this point, and concern in their eyes.

"No, I'm fine. I just had a lot of work after my promotion. But now I'm back and better than ever." she said and smiled at them.

"Ah, a promotion eh?" "It must feel nice to be given your rightful due?"

"It sure does fellas."

"Alright, what's all the fuss about?" a man bellowed as he walked through a door behind the bar, wiping his hands on a piece of cloth, but he stopped as he looked out to the tables. "'Orange' Jane 'Pekoe', as I live and breathe! Is that really you?!" The Commander got up from her chair and smiled at the man.

"Hello Takeshi. Long time no see." The man came out from behind the bar and walked over to the Commander, giving her a great big bear-hug that practically lifted her from the floor.

"Ow,ow,ow," the Commander yipped. "That's a bit too tight." The man let go and put her back on the ground.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that. We've just been worried 'bout ya is all." He gave the Commander several pats on the back, almost knocking her to the floor.

"So I've heard."

"Anyways, who's your friend?" the man asked and looked at Emiya.

"Uh, oh, uh, I'm, I mean…" Emiya began to stammer, but was interrupted by the Commander.

"Oh yes, where are my manners. Takeshi, meet Emiya Yoshimura. Emiya, this is Takeshi Wakabayashi, the barkeep and proprietor of this humble establishment." The Commander let her hand move between the two in turn as she introduced them.

"I...V-very pleased to meet you!" Emiya exclaimed as she bowed as low as she could.

"Nice to meet you too, Emiya," the man chuckled to himself, but gave a nod and kind smile nonetheless. "Welcome to _The Laughing Cavalier..."_ he began, before the Commander joined in.

"...The finest pub aboard the _Ark Royal_ , and don't you let anyone tell you otherwise!" She gestured widely with her arms as the two spoke in unison, before giving the man a playful jab in the side with her elbow.

"Really? We don't get an introduction?" one of the men playing backgammon shouted to the Commander.

"I was getting to you, don't get your shoes in a pond." The commander yelled back over her shoulder. "And these two gentlemen, lacking all manners expected in the civilized world," she sighed, "are Edamura Shiro, and Shiro Miyasato. Affectionately called 'Ed and Larry'" The two men each lifted a hand in greeting, and Emiya bowed to them each in turn.

"P-pleased to make your a-acquaintance!" As she looked back up, she gave a glance to her Commander before carefully asking a question. "W-which one is whi…"

"It doesn't matter!" the two men gleefully called out in unison, giving the only answer the question seemed to get.

"So," Takeshi said, turning back to Jane after a few moments, "You want your usual table?"

"Actually, if it's not too much trouble I was gonna ask for one of the booths." The Commander looked up at the old man, putting a hand on his elbow.

"Well, for you, I'll see what I can do," he answered with a chuckle and turned to look at the deserted hall. "Well, would you look at that, it seems booth 3 just opened up. I'd take it before someone else snatches it." He patted the Commander on the back once more, and began walking over to the bar. "Your usual?"

"Yes please. Two as a matter of fact." The Commander turned to Emiya, and gestured for her to follow to one of the booths.

"C-commander, I just want to.."

"Ah yes, I almost forgot," she replied, seemingly without listening, and gestured to the bar. "Takeshi, can we get some iced tea? Iced tea is fine right?" she asked and turned back to Emiya.

"Y-yeah, t-that's fine, I suppose…"

"Excellent. Two iced tea for us if you would!"

"Coming right up Jane!" was the reply from the bar.

"B-but Commander, I have to ask…"

"Could you fill this out for me please?" the Commander asked and handed her a pen and a piece of paper she produced from her bag. As Emiya looked it over, she could tell it was covered in questions regarding math, distances and angles. _Is this my punishment? She wants me to do her homework for her?_

"C-commander?"

"Quickly as you can please," the commander replied and started a stopwatch on her phone. Emiya reached for the pen, and began jotting down answers as fast as she could.

* * *

Jane looked attentively at the redhead before her as she filled in answers with remarkable speed. As she worked, Takeshi came over with their iced tea, and she took a sip as she glanced at the stopwatch.

"A-all done, Commander," the Yoshimura-girl said and handed the piece of paper back. Jane stopped the stopwatch, noting that the girl had barely been working for three minutes before she was finished. She reached into her bag and produced an identical piece of paper, and checked the answers against each other.

"C-commander," the girl asked timidly. "W-what was t-that?"

"This, was a series of questions given to university-level candidates for gunner-positions. I happen to know a girl who is applying for Yokohama U's Sensha-Do team, and she was kind enough to lend me this." Jane put the two pieces down on the table, revealing that the two papers had identical answers written down. "Candidates are usually given 20 minutes to fill this out, and you managed it in slightly more than three." The redhead looked at her as if she didn't understand. "The girl who wrote this one..." Jane pointed to the paper on the left, "Is one of the smartest people I know, and has assured me that, upon review, the answers are indeed correct. Fascinatingly enough, you have given the exact same answers." Jane pointed to the copy on the right that her companion had just filled out, pointing out the identical answers. She then lifted her gaze and looked the girl in the eye. "She performed her test in just under five minutes."

"C-commander?"

"Yes?"

"A-am… a-am I in t-trouble? F-for my mistake at the m-meeting last week, I-I m-mean." The girl looked just about ready to melt.

"Actually, that's what I brought you here to talk about." _This is the end of me, I'm sure of it_ , Emiya thought to herself. Jane could see the redhead swallow, and decided to not drag things out anymore as she got up from the table, and bowed to her subordinate.

"I brought you here to apologize for my behavior. I was in a bad place and under a great deal of stress, none of which is an excuse for how I treated you. I sincerely hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me, Emiya Yoshimura."

Emiya didn't understand, not to mention knowing what to say. Why was the Commander apologizing? She was the one who had screwed up, and most certainly wounded the Commander, after all. Why would she be owed an apology? She had made an absolute mess of things, and suddenly the Commander was apologizing to her?

"I-I...I, uhm, I d-don't…"

"I have complete understanding if you wish to quit the team and seek some other form of extracurricular activity. I have already explained matters to the school staff, and they have full sympathy for your circumstances."

Quit the team? Why would she quit the team? She loved Sensha-Do above all else, just like her sister, so why would she quit? A wave of relief passed over Emiya, but also gave way to a feeling of not knowing or understanding. Still, she swallowed her doubts, and clenched her fists as she answered. "Commander, I want nothing more than to stay as a part of this team! I do not understand why I should be owed an apology for my behavior and mistakes, and so I must apologize to you in turn! I screwed up and injured you, and that's not something that can be forgiven!" She bent forward to bow as she yelled, but forgot that she was still seated, and ended up knocking her forehead on the table. "Ow," she said and rubbed the point of impact with a hand, while the Commander just giggled.

"That's very good to hear Yoshimura. But you really are owed an apology. I yelled at you, and berated you for something that really wasn't your fault. Believe me when I tell you that I am sorry for that." She handed the girl a handkerchief to wipe her tears, which the redhead accepted. "But I do have some questions for you, if you don't mind?"

"C-commander?"

"Nothing big, and you're not in trouble over it, I'm just curious." The girl gave a nervous nod, so Jane went straight into her questioning. "Let's start with your hometown. You used to live in Yokosuka before coming here, didn't you?"

"I-I did...Is t-that a p-problem?"

"None whatsoever. I was just wondering why you applied to St. Gloriana and not Shamrock. A family like yours I imagine don't have an easy time paying the tuition to this place?" Jane did her utmost not to sound elitist, but suspected the point was moot.

"A-ah...W-well y-you s-see…" the girl stammered. "I...I was actually going to apply for Shamrock, and go join their Sensha-Do team. M-my sister is the c-commander, so I would have been welcomed with open arms. B-but then she came and talked to me one day when the _Unicorn_ was in p-port, and said I would be wasting my talents if I applied. Shamrock has never been a powerhouse of anything, and even if I would be top of my class there, a diploma from them wouldn't mean as much as one from another school. She s-said I would be much better off going to a r-richer and m-more prestigious school like this, or K-kuromo-mo-morimine, a-and w-well, since our house was just on the outskirts of Yokosuka, and I could easily take the train to take the admissions test for St. Gloriana, I tried it, and g-got in on a scholarship. S-so, I guess my sister was right."

"Your sister sounds like a very nice girl. What's her name?"

"I-Iona… Iona Yoshimura. But everyone calls her 'Shannon'."

"I see," Jane said. The name didn't ring a bell, even if she had a pretty good grasp on all the commanders of the federation. "You know, I see a lot of myself in you."

"Y-you do, C-commander? B-but you're so strong, and c-confident, and charismatic, and good at l-leading, and…"

"I don't think I'm that good. My predecessor however, The Lady Darjeeling, she sure was a sight to behold. But no, what I meant was that we have very similar backgrounds. My family also doesn't have that much money, and the only reason I got to study aboard the _Ark Royal_ is because of a scholarship. And even if I _am_ all those things you see in me, I wasn't always like this. We all grow and change because of the people who give us a chance. Lady Darjeeling gave me a chance when she promoted me to Vice-Commander, and it made me who I am now. I would like to give you a chance, perhaps not the same kind, but a chance nonetheless, if you'll let me."

"C-c-comman-commander?"

"Being the Commander takes an incredible amount of work. I'm still getting used to it, and I don't quite know how to handle it all yet. But what I do know, is that I need someone to help me make sense of it all, to keep things organized, and someone who can keep things going once I graduate. So I want to give you a chance, but I need to ask you a question first."

"A-anything Commander!"

"I'm going to ask you to jump off a cliff for me. Because that's really what I'm asking. You don't know what you're leaping towards, and you don't know what's at the end, you just need to trust in the person asking you to jump. So, do you trust me, Emiya?" Jane reached out and put a hand on Emiya's, looking her in the eye.

The girl looked at her for a few seconds, pondering what she had said, before swallowing and answering. "Y-yes, Commander! I trust you completely!"

"Then, Emiya Yoshimura, how would you like to be gunner of the _Victory_ , and my personal aide?"


	12. Of Friendship, Festivities, and Finals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane is facing the most important match of her career, a ball is organized, a promise made through handkerchiefs is upheld, a green-clad quintet appears to sing, and perhaps a kiss or two is shared?

**O Friendship, Festivities, and Finals**

* * *

**  
A/N: I would advise readers who haven't read the excellent doujin _Rabbit Sunrise_ to read that before this chapter, as the events of that doujin are referenced quite heavily. It is in no way required reading however, and the chapter will work entirely on its own.**

**Enjoy the story!**

* * *

_...Baptisms of fire_

_I've witnessed your suffering_

_As the battle raged high_

_And though they did hurt me so bad_

_In the fear and alarm_

_You did not desert me_

_My brothers in arms..._

* * *

Jane stood alone in St. Gloriana's operations room, gazing down at the scale model of a battlefield. In a corner, the record player Charles had given her was filling the silent room with her favorite record. She always saved putting it on for when she needed to be calmed down, and this was one of those moments. She was about to lead her team through the most important match not only of her life, but of the school's recent history.

"And you will fail," a voice said from behind her. "St. Gloriana will lose once again, and it will all be your fault."

"You don't know that," she responded. "I have led us this far, and I will continue to lead the team to victory."

"You can't do it. You are a feeble weakling, who placed your trust in others to make up for your own pathetic lack of skills."

"You are wrong."

"Am I?" the girl replied with an unstable, almost cackling laughter. "Surely I know you best of all?" Jane turned around and faced her broken, cackling doppelganger. The doppelgangers eyes were bloodshot, her hair was a torn mess, and her uniform was a disgrace. "I'm what you should have been," she continued through her mad cackles. "I'm the one who took Lady Darjeeling's words to heart. I am the only one who could be trusted to lead this team. I never made the mistake of trusting those failures of Vice-Commanders you appointed. I never wasted my time on that pathetic Shamrock-girl. I threw the stammering fool out as quick as I could." Jane's reflection tore open the sleeve of her jacket to reveal horrific burn-marks all over her arm. "She couldn't even pour a cup of tea correctly, so of what use could she possibly be? Now, give me the sword so I can take what is mine, you imbecile," she said with a malicious grin, and began to slowly step towards her.

Jane instinctively took a step back and put a hand on the hilt, heeding the many words of wisdom Charles had given her during their sessions, but instead of drawing the blade, she instead returned to standing calmly before her attacker, her arms clasped behind her back. She drew a deep breath, and looked her twin in the eye with determination as she answered.

"No. _I_ am the commander of this team, and the sabre is mine, by right. You are merely my own fears and insecurities acting up, and I won't permit you. You're nothing but indigestion. A piece of stale toast, or a moldy vegetable. There's more carrot than Commander of you. Now leave my sight, you despicable doppelganger." The phantom took a step back from Jane, cursing under her breath, but ultimately readied herself to strike. Jane drew her sword and took a readied stance, as her mirror image pounced upon her.

* * *

The sound of distant thunder awoke Jane from her sleep. The storm was making sure it had not been forgotten. The howling wind and heavy rain outside was not enough to drown out the record player set up in the corner however, still playing away at her favourite record. Jane got up from behind her desk and walked over to the open flaps of her command tent, and stared out across the dreary landscape. The rain had eliminated almost all visibility, leaving nothing but a grey curtain to gaze out upon. The only indication that there was even a landscape to behold came with the infrequent lightning illuminating the rolling hills. She wanted to return to her desk, to her planning table, to be more prepared for the trial awaiting her, but she couldn't. She had been sitting behind the desk for hours, planning, plotting, strategizing, looking at every conceivable angle, to the point of collapsing into sleep and nightmares. She knew who the Jane in her dream was. That was the Jane she had been when she first became Commander, the Jane who nearly destroyed the team and herself. She had no intention of ever letting that side of herself come out. And yet, it managed to tug at her as the pressure took up most of her attention

At this point all she could do was wait. And wait she did; as the rain fell, the wind tore, the lightning and thunder rolled in the distance, and the record player crackled away inside the tent. After a few minutes, her orange hair was hanging striped into her face, full of grime and rain, her tank jacket was soaked through, and her skirt clung to her thighs as if taped there. Not that it mattered. She didn't feel cold. She didn't feel soaked. She didn't feel the rain cling to her and rolling down towards her boots. She didn't feel the wind tearing through her like razor blades. She couldn't even feel her knuckles whitening as she gripped the sabre in her left hand tighter and tighter. Earl Grey's, no, Darjeeling's, NO. Her sabre. The Commander's sabre. All she could feel was the pressure. The months and years leading her to this moment hadn't done nearly enough to prepare her.

"Commander!" a voice called out through the rain and wind. "Commander?! It's time!"

Even though Jane had heard, she simply stood still, and continued to stare into the abyss for a few more seconds, before facing the voice. Beside her stood Emiya, a drenched raincoat covering her tank uniform, holding out Jane's own raincoat for her. Jane turned back to the dark panorama before her as she hooked the sabre to her side. Then, she turned around and without a word, walked back into the command tent, and out through the other flap to the waiting Bren carrier. After a few seconds, Emiya had followed her through the tent, leaving both her own and Jane's raincoats on one of the tables inside. A silent sign of respect and solidarity. They both took a seat in the Bren, and as Jane continued to stare into the distance, it drove off towards the gathered tanks on the field, St. Gloriana's flag hanging lifelessly off the back despite the storm, soaked through with rain.

* * *

As the Bren arrived on the battlefield, Jane and Emiya dismounted. Emiya went to take her place in the _Victory_ , but Jane continued towards the other team, and was swiftly joined on each side by Emma and Hatsumi, both relatively dry in their raincoats. Emma gave Jane a concerned look, but it disappeared after a determined glare became it's reply.

"Rosehip, Rukuriri," She nodded to them both. "Are all preparations in order?"

"Yes, Commander," they replied in unison.

"The team is ready?"

"Yes, Commander," Emma responded. "The stage is set."

"Very well. Then I suppose it's time for the curtain to rise." Jane stopped as they reached the judges, and looked towards their opponents. All among them were the insignias that in only a few years had become a source of fear and respect throughout the world of Japanese Sensha-Do; Anglerfish, Turtle, Hippo, Duck, Rabbit, Mallard, Anteater, Leopon and Shark.

"Let's have a good match," the cry rang out through the rain and howling wind as they all bowed to each other.

* * *

Jane nodded to her Vice-Commanders as they all made their way back to their tanks, and as they parted ways, gripped the hilt of the sabre tightly. Once at the _Victory_ , she climbed on top and opened the hatch, before dropping down into the Commander's seat. Two years. Two years it had been hers, and for the first time in those two years, she felt completely in her element sitting there. _I damn well need to be if I'm going to pull this off_ , she thought.

"Commander!" her crew called out in unison. Emiya had already taken her place in the gunner's seat. Next to her was Michiko Tatsuno, her loader, and down in the driver's pit sat the newest addition to the crew, Tae Waki. Her skill was formidable to be sure, but Jane would be lying if she claimed she hadn't preferred to have Ruhuna still with her.

"Ladies," Jane said and nodded to them each in turn. She grabbed the radio from beside her seat, and began to call out to her team. "This is 'Director'. Cast and crew, it's opening night and the critics are in the house, do you copy?"

The radio crackled with nothing but silence for a few seconds, before answers began to roll in.

"Copy that 'Director', this is 'Lead'. 'Cast' is waiting in the wings," Hatsumi called back. _The Matilda's were ready for battle_.

"This is 'Conductor', 'Band' is at the ready." Emma's check-in followed, excited anticipation in her voice. _The Crusader regiment was equally prepared_.

"This is 'Producer', 'Stagehands' are prepared," a final call came in, in slightly broken Japanese. It was 'Oolong', or Wei Guiying as she was actually called. She was an exchange student from China who had proved her mettle, and so Jane had given her command of the support division.

"Excellent," Jane replied. "Then let's not keep the audience waiting, we have a show to put on." She hung the radio back in its place, and the roar of a dozen and more engines filled the air. The match of her life was about to begin. Still, despite it all, there was a single terrifying thought eating at the back of her mind. _What if I fail?_

* * *

_Kwerpunk, Schwikt_

A white flag extended.

The sound was almost impossible to hear for those not in the heat of the battle, but the announcement that followed sent cheers rolling throughout the stands as the audience broke out in celebratory cheers, or cries of disappointment. The battle was over. At first Jane didn't even hear the announcement go out, adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

"We repeat: the flag tank of Ooarai's Girls Academy is disabled and can no longer function. St. Gloriana's Girls College wins the match." A hand reached up to Jane's still trembling leg, and as she looked down to the gunner's seat, Emiya looked back at her with a comforting smile. Outside the announcement continued. "The champions of the 65th national high school Sensha-Do tournament are St. Gloriana's girls College!" For the first time in hours, perhaps days, Jane relaxed. Her shoulders slumped as she leaned back, and she took a deep breath. "And so, the fat lady finally sings," she said to herself. As Emiya handed her a cup of tea, Jane opened the hatch of the _Victory_ , removed her headset and climbed out. The rain had by this point died down to a pleasant trickle, and the sun had begun to creep forth from behind the dark clouds. She could hear the cheers of her crewmates celebrating in the tank below her as she simply sat and looked out over the now ruined park where the final showdown had taken place. She could feel tears of joy slowly start to trickle down her cheeks as she took a sip of the tea, and nodded to the girl opposite her. With tears of sadness rather than joy in her eyes, the girl nodded back from beside the white flag of Ooarai's flag tank. The M3 Lee of Rabbit team was defeated, and with her demise, the _Victory_ had ascended. The humiliation of Jane's first year in command, where Fukuda of Chi-Ha-tan had outplayed her every move in the first round, was overcome. Jane had reclaimed St. Gloriana's place as a Sensha-Do powerhouse. Still, her thoughts didn't dwell on her own achievements and destiny, but on that of her opponent.

Many had called Miho Nishizumi 'The Miracle of Ooarai', a phoenix rising from the ashes of her own demise to lead a school lacking funds, tanks, and experience to the championship title. Leaving the harsh world of Kuromorimine and the Nishizumi style behind her, only to set the entirety of the Sensha-Do community ablaze. She had inspired girls all throughout the country and the world to not only take up tankery, but to see it for the fun it could be. Following her example had given rise to a new golden age for many schools in the Federation. Bonple, Anzio, Chi-Ha-Tan and others had risen to become true contenders for the title. Gone were the days of dominance for Kuromorimine, Pravda and Saunders.

But if Miho Nishizumi was the Messiah Ooarai had prayed for to save their school, Azusa Sawa was the second coming. Jane's path had not been easy. She too was following in the footsteps of a great commander, but her story had been different. Sensha-Do had always held a place in St. Gloriana's heart. When a Commander left, there was always another who had been groomed for command. Lady Earl Grey had followed Lady Sencha, Lady Darjeeling had followed Earl Grey, Jane had followed Darjeeling, and soon Emiya would follow Jane. Neither was there ever a shortage of skilled tankers. Every year saw new girls come to take a place in the academy's tanks, to the point that no tank ever stood empty.

For Azusa and Ooarai, the tale had been a grimmer one. After their miraculous victory in the 63rd tournament, the crew of Turtle team had graduated, as well as a few others from the team. Still, Miho had somehow weathered the storm, and, with Azusa at her side, found new recruits to man the Hetzer, once again taking victory at last year's tournament, snatching it from the jaws of defeat against Carpaccio's Anzio. But then, as suddenly as Ooarai's feared crews had appeared, they were gone. Time waits for no woman, and neither did it for Ooarai. Graduations came around once again, and as the only ones who were first years during the 63rd tournament, Azusa and Rabbit team were left, all alone.

To build a team from nothing around a renowned commander of a great family, and then lead them to mastery and victory was a herculean task, deemed impossible by all, but Azusa had somehow managed to outdo it all. As the 65th tournament came around, Azusa stood at the ready with newly recruited crews for all of Ooarai's tanks. This in itself was no small feat, but to Jane and everyone else's amazement, Ooarai had fought harder than ever before, and somehow managed to reach the finals yet again. Alas, the third time was not the charm for them.

* * *

As the teams gathered to officially end the match, Azusa was quiet. Many of the girls on the team, especially her friends in Rabbit team, had tried their best to hide their disappointment and show brave smiles to their Commander. But she knew. She knew that whenever she was out of earshot, tears were shed. They were all disappointed that they couldn't win, but she more than anyone. Thankfully the patronage of Lady Nishizumi had safetied the school from MEXT's plans to shut them down, but Azusa still felt hollow inside. She hadn't been able to keep all that Commander Nishizumi built alive. She would forever be known as the Commander that failed Ooarai. She was sure of it. Still, she was the Commander, and if she had learned anything from Commander Nishizumi, it was to always show a bright outlook on life, even when life was eating you up inside. So when the time came to shake hands with Orange Pekoe, she did just that.

"That was a great match," she said, forcing a smile as the two commanders shook hands.

"It truly was. Far too close for my tastes," Orange Pekoe responded with a smile of her own. Small teardrops were forming in her eyes, so Azusa reached to her breast pocket and offered her lucky handkerchief. Orange Pekoe simply shook her head as she dried the tears with her sleeve. "Thank you, but I'm fine." She reached out and closed Azusa's hand around the handkerchief. She gave Azusa's hand a final shake, and began walking back to her team.

"But…" was all Azusa could stammer out, but her opponent had already left the field with her celebrating comrades. Azusa didn't get to return the gesture to Orange Pekoe as she had dreamed. At this point, her mask of composure fell apart entirely. Her cheeks felt wet, not from the light rain still falling, but from the tears that began to roll down them. Her knees gave way, and she collapsed on the field. Saki was the first of her comrades to reach her side. She wrapped her arms around Azusa in a warm embrace, and whispered softly "There, there, it will all be fine. You were always the strongest of us, so don't cry," as she patted her on the head. Azusa could only look up at her usually mute friend in stunned silence. Saki only put a finger across her lips and winked, before the hug tightened as the rest of Rabbit team joined in. After what felt like an hour the pressure loosened, and Azusa was helped back up on her feet. She began to put the handkerchief back in her breast pocket when she noticed she was holding something else as well. Orange Pekoe had somehow managed to sneak a small wax-sealed envelope in with the handkerchief when she closed Azusa's hand.

"What's that?" asked an inquisitive Aya.

"I don't know," Azusa replied as she looked the envelope over. Seeing no clues other than the seal of St. Gloriana stamped into the vax, she tore the seal and looked at the letter.

_**Dear Azusa Sawa,** _

_**I thank you for a marvelous match and, in the name of our friendship and rivalry these past three years, wish to invite you and your comrades to participate in St. Gloriana's celebratory ball.** _

_**Should you and your comrades of Rabbit team accept, we would be honored to have you all attend. The ball will be held at Sensha-do hall in Yokohama on the 27th, with the event beginning at 17:00. A three-course meal will be served at 18:00, after which the evening will transition into a ball in traditional English style.** _

_**Dress Code: Black tie. Tank uniform (Mess dress) or Evening gown for the ladies, and Aerial uniform (Mess dress) or tuxedo for the gentlemen.** _

_**RSVP: Should you choose to accept my invitation, do not feel the need to RSVP. You will be guests of honor, and a place has already been reserved for you. If you wish, each of you are of course permitted to bring a +1, but please, do let me know in advance.** _

_**Your friend and Rival,** _

_**Lady Orange Pekoe** _

_**Supreme Commander of all forces under** _

_**St. Gloriana Girls College's Sensha-Do team** _

"Well ladies," Azusa said as she dried the last of her tears, and composed herself again. "I guess we need to bring out the dresses. It appears we're going to a ball."

* * *

"You know, this really doesn't feel like your style at all"

"I agree. This seems much more like something Elizabeth or I would throw together."

Jane had stopped listening to Emma and Charles making fun of her ball a while ago, but as they walked among the many tables after the dinner was completed she finally gave in and responded.

"Perhaps it is a bit refined to seem like my cup of tea. But considering we took home the championship title for the first time in 15 years last month, I figured something big was in order," she said with confidence. "Besides, St. Gloriana doesn't hold graduation balls, so for me this will be the next best thing." While she did agree that her usual stylings were not this fancy, she had secretly been hoping to organize something like this ever since she took command. She'd even conspired with Hatsumi, who'd taken over as student council president after Tokujira stepped down, to give the Sensha-Do club additional funding for a party like this, should they win the tournament.

Sensha-Do Hall in Yokohama had once upon a time been one of many buildings constructed in European style during the Meiji-period all along the harbor, but after the wars it was the only one still standing. As tankery reached Japan and the Sensha-Do Federation was formed, the building was restored and turned into a headquarters for the fledgling organization. Today it was mostly a ceremonial building, used mainly for fundraising galas and other festivities, but the immense size and scale of the grand hall was therefore perfect for Jane's ball. Grand chandeliers hung all throughout the hall, and tables were spread across much of the floor, leaving a large open space for the dance floor, and a raised platform for the band. Jane stood for a minute, simply looking around the hall while Emma and Charles blabbed on behind her. All throughout the hall there was life and activity. Many of the guests, some from St. Gloriana, some from St. George, and some from rival schools or even some who had already graduated, were still sitting spread out among the many tables, talking, chatting or flirting, depending on what table you looked at. The dance floor was equally busy, with the band having just begun to play a slow, romantic jazz-song, and many of those who had brought their significant others to the ball were busy gazing into each other's eyes as they danced. Jane blushed slightly as she was surprised by the sight of Fukuda and Nina, the commanders of Chi-Ha-Tan and Pravda respectively, holding each-other tightly, and both staring at the other as if the rest of the world didn't exist. All in all, the ball had been a great success.

The three-course dinner had been expertly prepared, just as she had imagined, and all around her were people, friends and foes alike, dressed in evening gowns, tuxedos or uniforms of their sport. She herself wore the team's mess uniform, a modified version of the regular uniform with gold epaulets and a white band crossing diagonally across the torso, and a slightly longer skirt reaching her knees, the commander's sabre slung at her side. Emma, as well as most of the team's commanders, wore a similar uniform, except their epaulets were color-coded to their rank, and without the band across the torso. The majority of the crew members had chosen to instead show off in a colourful display of different gowns and dresses. Many most likely to fit better when standing or dancing with their significant others.

Charles, ever a man of style, had brought out an entirely new outfit, which apparently he'd put together for just this occasion. A light-purple double breasted waistcoat with floral patterns covered a white shirt, complemented by an azure cravat. The outfit was completed by a bottle green tuxedo, and a pair of finely polished shoes. Of course Charles showed off with his sense of style constantly, perhaps to a ridiculous degree according to some, but to Jane he could not look more handsome. Especially when she noticed the 'crossed rapier'-cufflinks, a set she had given him for Christmas last year. She almost wished she wasn't attending as the Team Commander, so she could match her beloved in a fine dress.

As she stood there, barely listening to Charles and Emma, she saw Azusa sitting alone at a table in a burgundy dress with a despondent expression, her elbows on the table for stability as her head rested on a wrist.

"Excuse me," she said to her companions, and walked over to her fallen opponent.

* * *

"Azusa"

"Orange Pekoe," Azusa looked up from her apparent gloom, and gave her a smile, even if it was pretty obviously forced. "This is...quite the celebration. If I didn't know you better I'd have thought you were coming to gloat." Jane pulled up a chair from an adjacent table and sat down next to her.

"You are correct. That is not my style. Nor is it the style of St. Gloriana." She put her hand on Azusa's. "I actually came over because you were looking down. Is something the matter?"

"You mean apart from losing the match and letting commander Nishizumi down? No, it's nothing."

"I may not be a mind-reader, but we've known each other long enough that I can tell something's bothering you. What's the matter?"

"Nevermind, you'll just think it's stupid and laugh."

"I won't."

"Yes you will. It's just stupid, so don't worry about it. I'm sure you have other guests to entertain." Azusa pulled her hand away and stared off towards the other end of the room. Not that there was anything in particular there, but this way she could avoid Orange Pekoe's gaze.

"No, I don't. My friend is feeling down, and that takes precedence." Jane leaned in front of Azusa and put a hand on her shoulder as she looked her in the eyes. "I promise I won't laugh. OK?" Azusa gave a slow nod. "Let me guess; it's about me refusing the handkerchief after the match?" A look of shock spread across Azusa's face.

"How did you…"

"Well, I did recognize it. It has my initials on it after all. I just didn't have the time or energy to talk to you about it then. But right now you have my full, undivided attention. At least until Emma comes running to drag me off to the dance floor again." Azusa gave off a small laugh at the notion.

"You could have at least acknowledged it. I've been carrying that handkerchief around for three years. Ever since…"

"Ever since the exhibition match we played against you when Ooarai had just restarted it's Sensha-Do program." Azusa nodded. "You know… I don't think you've failed Miho at all. Sure, she led Ooarai from nothing to victory two years in a row. But you still led them to the finals. Do you understand how difficult that is for a first-time commander? How insurmountably difficult it is for a school with almost no experienced crews to follow her? To reach the finals is an incredible challenge even for experienced commanders. Darjeeling couldn't manage it, Kay surely couldn't, and I definitely couldn't last year. If Miho was here tonight, I think she would congratulate you at least as much as she would me."

"You think so?"

"I do. You are an incredible tanker Azusa. You achieved almost everything that Miho did, but without the years of training and experience she had when she first came to the _Zuikaku_. I can hardly believe you are the same girl I met all those years ago. To go from deserting your tank at first bombardment, to leading a team through near impossible battles and almost winning the championship is incredible. Had a single thing changed on the battlefield that day, you would be the one hosting a celebration tonight, not me." Azusa simply looked down towards the floor as a faint smile emerged on her lips.

"You know, I never knew what I wanted. I always just followed what others said, because nothing ever gave me that burning sensation of passion other people seemed to get. I even joined Sensha-Do just because that's what my friends wanted. And sure, I guess it was fun in the start. But when those first shells hit, we were all so terrified. The Lee kept shaking, and rattling, and we didn't know what to do. Running away that day might have been the thing I'll always be the most ashamed of." Azusa scooched her chair over towards Jane so they were sitting side by side as they looked out across the great hall. "Still," she continued. "I don't regret it. If we hadn't run that day, we wouldn't have hid in shame, and Darjeeling would never have come to see us. She would never have shown us how great Sensha-Do could be. It was because of her that I finally knew what I wanted. I knew I was going to follow Commander Nishizumi through it all, and when she couldn't lead us anymore, I would take up the post. I would follow in her footsteps and strive to reach her. To become her equal. I guess I wasn't strong enough to do that though."

 _That sounds a lot like someone else I know_ , Jane thought. "But does it matter?" she asked. Azusa looked at her with confusion.

"I… I think so? What's the point of having goals and dreams if you don't achieve them?"

"Well, maybe the important thing isn't reaching the goals and achieving our dreams? Maybe the important thing is the experiences we face while getting there, and the friends we make? If you hadn't decided to follow Miho and to climb into her shoes, but instead just kept up with Sensha-Do because that's what your friends did, or even left the sport entirely, I wouldn't have found a rival I could respect." Azusa looked at Jane with tears in her eyes, as Jane nodded. She was speaking the truth. "And if I hadn't been comparing myself to you, where would I be?" She chuckled to herself. "I mean, can you imagine me trying to compare myself to Fukuda or Panettone? I'd look ridiculous." Azusa started to giggle before they both broke out into laughter.

"Maybe you're right. I guess just because I didn't become what I wanted to, it doesn't mean I haven't changed for the better." Azusa reached down and grabbed Jane's hand. "That Darjeeling… She must have been amazing to serve under."

"She was certainly...something else," Jane responded. She would maintain her former commander's reputation. For a little while longer at least. "But what made you bring her back up?"

"I still remember what she told me that day. And somehow it still rings true. 'The game only begins after you lose. It is only when one is made aware of their weakness that one's growth truly starts'." She gripped Jane's hand tighter and smiled at her. "So perhaps this is just the starting point for some new form of growth."

"Maybe." Jane gripped Azusa's hand back, and turned to face her. "Why are your crewmates looking at us like that?" she whispered. Azusa looked over Jane's shoulder, and in a panic, she let Jane's hand go and scooched her chair over to leave some space between the two.

"Oh… uhm…" she said and looked at the floor, red in the face. "Remember when you gave me that handkerchief?"

"Yeah?"

"Well… after you left, they all started talking about our destinies being tied together, and us meeting again as commanders, and me showing up to return the handkerchief as some form of fulfilled promise and oh god they were entirely right weren't they?" Azusa's cheeks somehow turned even redder as she hid her face in her hands. "They're on their way here, aren't they?" she asked without looking up. As Jane glanced back at the girls from Rabbit team, they were indeed slowly making their way towards them.

"Yeah. Sorry about all this." Azusa's face burst back up from her hands as she grasped Jane's hands in her own.

"N-no, none of this is your fault. It's just…" She let go and reached to her purse for something. "I've kept the handkerchief as a lucky charm and a sign of our friendship. So I was thinking maybe…" She pulled out another handkerchief, sky-blue as opposed to Jane's light-red, with embroidery around the edges and the initials S.A. hand-stitched into one of the corners. "Would you accept me giving you this one instead of returning yours, Orange Pekoe?"

Jane looked at Azusa in stunned silence, before taking the handkerchief in one hand as she rose from her chair, and hugged her friend. "Of course Azusa. I'll gladly accept this instead," she whispered in her ear. "But you don't have to call me Orange Pekoe anymore. We're friends, so you can call me by my given name." She let go as now it was Azusa's turn to stare in silence as confusion reigned supreme in her eyes.

"But I thought…"

"That my name was actually Orange Pekoe? You're not the first to make that mistake. But no. My name is Jane. And I look forward to our next time meeting each other Azusa." Jane gave a final, mischievous smile to her friend, and leaned in to give Azusa a peck on the cheek before turning and walking away to some other end of the party. When she passed the rest of the crew of Rabbit team, their eyes flicking back and forth between the two commanders as if they couldn't believe what they had just seen, she just acted as if nothing had happened. It would be more fun that way. She didn't get much farther, before she was dragged back to the dance floor by a waiting Emma, as she had predicted.

* * *

After over an hour of dancing with both Emma and Charles, the trio returned to the tables, taking a seat together in the now far emptier hall. The sun had set and the stars of the night sky stared in through the great windows. Many if not most of the first and second years had left to return to their respective lodgings, and so the hall was far calmer than it had been earlier in the night. The three sat and talked for another half-hour before Elizabeth, Elinor, Victoria and Kay joined them. Elinor and Kay both studied at the university in Yokohama, and saw no issue with exchanging a trashy college party for a fancy ball with their old kouhai. Victoria was working freelance for the federation, and had nearly invited herself before Jane sent her an actual invite, if only to keep the peace. What had surprised Jane the most however, was how eagerly Elizabeth had accepted her invitation. When she sent the invite halfway across the globe Jane had assumed her old commander would simply send a well-meaning greeting and congratulation, but no. She had taken a week off from her university studies to travel back to Japan for the celebration.

"... And when they managed to break that deadlock, my heart was in my throat for god's sake. I thought you were done for," Elizabeth said, adding to the impromptu debriefing of the match that the conversation had devolved into. "Those rabbits are not to be underestimated. I wouldn't be surprised if they get scouted for one of the university teams."

"Nah, that wasn't very impressive," Victoria interjected. "They just stole it from a movie, not that I for the life of me can recall what it was called." She knocked herself on the forehead a few times, but seemingly to no avail. "Charles, help me out here. You know which film I'm talking about. That old one…"

"Don't look at me. I may be old-fashioned, but films are one of my weak spots." he looked at Jane who was sitting beside him, and smiled. "Besides, isn't the important thing that we won?"

"Oh, so it's 'we' now?" Jane said with feigned annoyance. "All of last month it was 'Jane, stop worrying, _you_ 'll do fine' and ' _you_ 've got this', and now suddenly it's ' _we_ won'?"

"You know what I meant," he said and laughed, taking a sip of his cognac. "Still," he said and stood up, holding his glass aloft. "I propose a toast, to my beloved Lady Orange Pekoe, to all of St. Gloriana, and to their victory!" The rest of them all stood up, raising their glasses as well. "To their victory!" they all replied, each drinking a bit before starting to take their seats again, but they were interrupted by Elizabeth.

"And I will call a toast as well, for my darling Pekoe, and to Charles," she said, maintaining both her manner of speech and balance despite being on her third pint of beer. "May you never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in each other's arms. If you must steal, steal kisses. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink with us, your friends." They all toasted again, and finally took their seats so that the conversation could continue.

"You just wanted to show off all the toasts you learned drinking yourself blind in England, didn't you?" Charles asked of Elizabeth.

"Nothing of the sort. I just wanted to make a better toast than you Charlie. Well, I suppose there might have been a part of me that wanted to show off as well," she replied and giggled, before laying an arm around Kay and giving her a kiss on the ear.

* * *

As they sat around the table, swapping stories back and forth, Jane felt a jolt of sadness hit her, and just sat silent for a few minutes. She barely noticed Charles leaning over to caress her shoulder until he pecked her on the cheek.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. It's just… This will probably be one of the last times I'll get to experience something like this. At least for the rest of high school."

"Yeah, I don't see many more fancy balls appearing in the coming months."

"You moron," Jane giggled. "I mean this." She motioned to all of their friends gathered around the table. "There's no winter cup this year, and with Elizabeth in England there won't be a cauldron. The only Sensha-Do I'll do before graduating will be the occasional exhibition match. And once I do graduate, I might lose the last line I have to some of these people." Charles put his arm around her and grabbed her tight. She leaned into the hug and let her head rest against his shoulder.

"Maybe. But is there a point to bothering about it now? We are all here, enjoying each other's company. As long as we're here, and as long as we remember this, we'll still be together in a way, won't we?" He looked down and met her eyes, flashing that damned smile, and it was as if she fell in love all over again. She gave a small nod as reply, and nudged herself more tightly into his embrace. Charles was right. Why should she bother about what was to come? What was here and now was surely good enough. Kay leaning on Elizabeth's lap half-asleep, while Victoria did her best to tease them. Elinor chatting in a low voice with Emma, and beside her sat the man she loved. Maybe there wasn't more to life than this. As she sat there and enjoyed the moment, Emma got up from the table.

"I'm out, anyone else need another drink?" Emma had emptied her fourth Gin and Tonic with haste, and hoped that no one else would be ready for another round, but she had miscalculated.

"I could go for another," Jane responded. "Manhattan, heavy on the vermouth." Elizabeth and Victoria both ordered another beer, and although Kay tried, they all agreed she had had plenty for one night.

"That's a Saunders alumna for you. 'Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happy Hour' is their motto," Elinor said dryly. "She's absolutely impossible to go have a drink with. Even if we both agree to only have one, she'll have downed half-a-dozen before you know it."

"I'll be fine with just water, Emma. You might want to grab some for yourself you know," Charles said, fully prepared for the scoffing response Emma would give him. Elinor simply nodded to Emma, and she somehow filled in the rest on her own.

"Ok, so a water for Charles the coward, A heavy vermouth Manhattan to Jane, Two beers for the little rascals, a GT for me, and a Vodka Martini, stirred not shaken to Elinor." Before anyone had time to realize her accuracy she had darted off to the bar in the corner. Jane had made sure that there would be strict checks so that only students 18 or older could get a hold of alcohol, and miraculously, it had worked. First and second years had all kept themselves in check, as had the few third years too young to cross the threshold. By this point however, the hall was almost empty, save for Emiya talking with some of the other first years in the corner, and a quintet of girls in green sitting at the bar singing drinking songs together.

"Say, Elinor, why do you order your Martini like that?" Victoria asked. "You always struck me as a Bond-fan, kinda having that femme fatale-feel, so why not order it shaken?"

"Simple. James Bond's a wuss who won't drink a proper martini," Elinor replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the universe, to many a surprised face. Charles especially who, even if he wasn't a very big movie-buff, adored Bond-movies.

"You take that back right now," he said and threw an accusatory finger towards Elinor. "No one calls James '007' Bond a wuss to my face and gets away with it. Unless you mean David Niven, which, fair enough."

"The reason you stir a martini instead of shaking it is so that the ice doesn't break down and melt as quickly. What Bond's really doing is ordering a watered-down martini and being snooty about it."

"I…" Charles began, but soon sank back down. "Fine, you win. Why do you always have to be right?"

"I don't have to be, with you I just am," Elinor replied with a smile.

* * *

Jane and the rest continued their conversations for a little while, before Elinor glanced towards the bar, and abruptly left the table.

As the rest of the group let their eyes follow her towards the bar, they saw the reason Emma had taken so long. On the bar stood a tray with all their drinks, and Emma was clearly ready to leave, but was blocked by a young man in a white Hikoki-Do dress uniform, a student of St. George. From the looks of it he was probably just a third year who maybe couldn't handle as much alcohol as he thought he could. But, he was still insisting on blocking Emma's path and striking up a conversation, and while Elinor got closer and closer, Emma's expression that had begun as quite friendly, became more and more clearly in distress. Charles was about to get up as well to help his sister just as Elinor reached the two. To all of their amazement, she delivered a powerful right hook straight to the boy's face, and his balance not being what it should have been, led to him turning 180 degrees. While the boy was still trying to figure out what had happened, Elinor delivered a kick to his rear-end that sent him stumbling away from her and Emma, before grabbing the tray and walking back to their table.

"Elinor…" Jane started out. "Did...did you just…"

"What was I supposed to do? Elinor answered. "He was trying to make a move on my girl," and gave Emma a long kiss. They all, even Victoria who never stayed quiet, sat in stunned silence at what had just happened.

"W-when did this happen?!" Jane almost shouted as she stood up in her shock.

"Ooh, hard to pin down exactly," Emma said with a smug smirk.

"Ok, so when did it all start? Last I checked, you were sulking over never having made a move ever since she left!"

"Oh, that's a bit easier," Emma replied. "So, you remember that time we were down in Q-branch and you left, and we ended up locked inside for a couple of hours?"

"I mean, kinda, yes?" Jane said, still very much confused. "Wait, didn't you tell me that nothing happened while you were in there?"

"I wasn't lying. Nothing happened. You called and interrupted just as something was about to happen, ruining the entire mood. Let me tell you, it was extremely rude of you, OP."

"So, hang on, what? I'm still not entirely clear on what happened…"

"And neither will you ever be," Elinor said and took a sip of her Martini. "So just take your Manhattan, let this little factoid flee from your mind, and enjoy the rest of the evening." She placed the drinks in front of their respective drinker as she spoke. "You've made us all very proud, and we are here to celebrate, so let us not dwell on the past too much."

"But what…"

"I said," Elinor interrupted, with a pointed tone, "let's not dwell on the past too much."

Jane looked to Charles and her other companions for back-up, but no one seemed inclined to cross Elinor, so after a few awkward moments, the conversation was once again alive and well.

* * *

After this new round of drinks had also run dry, Jane was surprised to see Emiya walk over to them.

"Commander, Miss Rosehip-senpai, Ex-Commanders," She bowed to them each in turn. "I've been thinking, and even though it's incredible that we won the championship, it also means you won't get to do much more Sensha-Do before you graduate right?"

"Yeah...I also came to that conclusion," Jane responded. Still, she thought; it would provide her ample time to prepare the handover of command to Emiya once the time came.

"The thing is," she said as she squirmed. "I wanted to do something special to thank you for all your help since joining the team."

"Emiya, you really don't have to…"

"No, I do. You're the greatest commander St. Gloriana has seen in years. I mean… erm…" She looked nervously at Elizabeth and Victoria.

"Oh no, you're right. We achieved but a speck in the ocean compared to our darling Pekoe," a rather inebriated Elizabeth responded, clearly not taking offense.

"And so, even though you won't be leaving the team for a while, I thought…" She turned around and signaled something, and the girls at the bar began making their way towards them. "I thought I should ask my sister if she could help me show my gratitude and respect." As the quintet came closer, Jane started to pick out more and more features. The only impression she'd gotten all night was the backs of their green tank jackets, and their rather remarkable singing voices. Now however, she could start to pick out more details. Each of them wore a dark green tank jacket with shamrocks embroidered in the collars, and a matching skirt in a lighter green. Though when Jane looked closer, the three oldest looking girls' uniforms looked as if they were perhaps slightly too small. The uniforms were not made to fit the three seemingly college-aged girls bodies it seemed, but probably had an excellent fit a year or two ago. Two of the girls, one with light brown hair and a prosthetic leg, the other a redhead carrying a violin, looked to be Jane and Emma's age, though the one with the prosthetic might be a bit older. Two others, seemingly a year or so older, one looking not dissimilar to Kuromorimine's old commander Erika if she had had brown hair, and another with fiery red hair in two ponytails followed behind. Last came the oldest of them, a tall girl Elizabeth and Elinor's age with red hair growing wildly and falling down her back.

After a few seconds Jane recognized the girl with the ponytails as Iona Yoshimura, Emiya's older sister. They had met a few times, mostly at visiting weekends when family was allowed aboard the _Ark Royal_ to visit the students, although they had never interacted enough for Jane to get an impression of the older girl. She did have a vague memory of the girl asking her for an autograph a few years back though. Iona looked to be in clear command of her four companions however, despite the numerous empty beer bottles still spread around where they had been occupying the bar. Upon Iona's signal, all six of the girls, Emiya included, pulled out green caubeen-styled berets with feathers, also embroidered with the shamrock, and put them atop their heads. The girl with the violin raised it to her neck, and readied her bow. After a few short stomps of her foot, the impromptu group began to sing an old Irish folk song. Jane leaned back into Charles, and the seven of them listened to the beautiful singing, as a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

If this was to be her last night as a true Sensha-Do commander, that would be enough for her.

After all, what would make the present special if it lasted?

* * *

_...So fill to me the parting glass_

_And drink a health whate'er befalls_

_Then gently rise and softly call_

_Good night and joy be to you all_

_Of all the comrades that e'er I had_

_They're sorry for my going away_

_And all the sweethearts that e'er I had_

_They would wish me one more day to stay..._


	13. S2E1: 30 Hours in Yokohama Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles has made a promise to some Kouhai at his school, and it involves a reluctant Jane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, this story, and most of season 2, is set between the events of "Of Stress and Successors" and "Of Friendships, Festivities, and Finals"

**Friday, 17:55**

Emiya pinched herself one more time, just to make sure. She was still in doubt of the fact that she wasn’t dreaming. Looking around the commander’s study, she saw the commander’s sabre hanging in its place on the wall, the fully stocked bookcases, and in the corner a record player in a finely crafted wooden case. Then there was the desk. The Commander had a finely carved desk made from oak of course, but there was now a second desk. Her desk. For two weeks now she had been Lady Orange Pekoe’s aide, and for two weeks she had been certain that she was dreaming.

“Emiya?!” the Commander raised her voice slightly, and Emiya had to leave her suspicions of it all being a dream behind.

“Y-yes C-commander?” she asked nervously.

“You still with me?” Lady Orange Pekoe looked at her with a worried but gentle smile. “You seemed a bit zoned out.”

“Oh, it’s… It’s n-nothing, C-commander.” Emiya shook her head in denial, and returned her focus to the piece of paper before her.

“Ok then. Now, where was I?”

“You were p-planning the debrief o-of the match against A-anzio, C-commander. Y-you were j-just finishing up di-dictating the schedule t-to m-me.”

“Ah, that’s right.” The Commander nodded, and moved some papers around on her desk. “I’m lucky to have you Emiya, or I would have driven myself half mad by now...” Emiya felt fuzzy inside at the words. She could very well still be dreaming, but praise from the commander always made her feel like it didn’t matter.

“Are you sure you’re ok with me keeping you so late?” the Commander asked. “It is a Friday after all. Surely you would rather spend the evening with your classmates.” 

“Oh…” Emiya looked down at the floor. She hadn’t actually managed to make any real friends in her class, so her options were either helping the commander or sitting alone in her room. “N-no, Commander. I-I’m happy to stay and help.”

“If you say so. But you don’t need to stay just to try and impress me. You’re already helping me way more than I could ever have hoped for.” The commander raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Or perhaps there _is_ someone else you’d rather spend it with? Someone you won’t tell me about? A boy perhaps?”

“W-w-w-what?!” Emiya could feel her face heat up as her cheeks reddened. She may have been the Commander’s aide for two weeks, but she still hadn’t gotten used to her teasing sense of humor. “A-a-a-a b-b-b-boy?! N-n-n-no, n-n-n-never, C-c-c-c-commander!” She waved her hands back and forth in denial as she panicked, shaking her head just as frantically.

“Relax,” the commander laughed. “I couldn’t care less. What you do on your free time is none of my business.” She threw a glance up to the clock on the wall, and put her pen down. “Anyways, I have some other things to attend to, so I’ll have to send you off on your merry way no matter what.” She leaned back in her chair, and stretched her arms over her head.

Emiya finished what she was doing, and returned her pen to its place, as she did with everything else. Everything in its place. It made the desk far neater, and made work far quicker. She grabbed her finished documents, tapped them against the desk a few times to straighten the pile out, and then got up to place them on the commander’s desk. As she neared the desk, she placed her right foot a bit too close to her left, and tripped. She quickly regained her balance and managed to avoid falling to the floor. 

However, in her attempt to avoid this fate, she had accidentally knocked over the cup of tea on the commander’s desk. Thankfully there wasn’t any paperwork in the path of the beverage, but it still caused a mess.

“I-I’m s-s-so so-sorry, Commander!” Emiya rushed forwards to help clean up the mess, which only added to the problem as she knocked over another cup, this one containing a multitude of pens and pencils which now spilled out across the desk as well. “Oh no, I-I-I… P-please forgive me C-commander!” Emiya bowed deep to apologize for her mistake. “I know,” she said as she stood back up. “I-I-I-I’ll go g-get a t-towel!”.

She was about to rush out of the room in search of said towel, but the Commander stopped her. “It’s fine Emiya. Don’t worry about it. I’ve got this, so you can go home for tonight.”

“B-b-but I…”

“Go, Home,” the Commander repeated, and left the desk to put a hand on Emiya’s shoulder, smiling as she continued speaking. “I said I’ve got it, and you’ve already helped me far more than I have any right to ask.” The Commander handed Emiya her bag and a stack of documents to deliver to the team’s archive, and began to walk her towards the door of the apartment.

“I-if you say s-s-so…” Emiya said and tried to not sound downtrodden. “Good night, Commander”

“Good night, Emiya!” the Commander replied, and grabbed a towel from the kitchen before returning to the study.

* * *

**Friday, 18:00**

Emiya closed the door to the Commander’s apartment behind her, and closed her eyes as she leaned back against it, sighing as she did so. She had screwed up again, just like she always did. The Commander was just too nice to tell her. She sighed again. Why did she have to be so awkward? Why couldn’t she be more like her sister? Iona was never awkward, she just went into every situation with complete confidence in herself and everyone else. Just like the Commander. The Commander and Iona never seemed to care what others thought, they just acted however they wanted and made it look easy. Then there was her; she was always stammering and awkward, always nervous and screwing things up. 

Iona used to tell her that she had the smarts of every student at Shamrock twice over, and that she should be more secure in herself. “It didn’t matter that she was different, different was just a normal no one else had come up with yet,” she used to tell her, even if Emiya was pretty sure that it was all just something she said.

“Oh, Good evening!” Emiya jumped at the voice, and let out a high-pitched shriek, dropping all the documents she was going to take to the archive in a mess on the floor. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“N-n-n-no. I-i-i-i-it’s m-m-m-m-my f-f-fault…” Emiya replied as she got down on the floor and tried in a panic to gather up the documents.

“Here, let me help you with that.”

“D-d-d-d-on’t w-w-w-worry ab-b-b-bout it. It’s f-f-f-fine…” Emiya tried her best to gather all the pieces of paper before any help could be given, but the increased pace only furthered her panic and made her drop a bunch of the documents she had already picked up. She heard a low thud and the clatter of wood against carpet, and in the corner of her eye she could see someone kneeling on the floor and picking up some of the papers.

The papers were soon collected, and a hand reached down to help Emiya up. “Here, I believe these are yours?” A pile of documents was handed to her, while she did her best to look away and avoid eye contact.

“T-t-t-t-thank you…” Emiya answered and accepted the pile.

“You doing ok? You seem pretty stressed.”

“I-I-I-I do? N-n-n-n-n-o, I’m f-f-f-fine…”

“Hey, just calm down ok? There’s no one else here, so don’t worry so much.” A hand was reached out towards Emiya once again. “I’m Charles.”

“E-e-e-e-emiya. I-I-I-I-I’m the c-c-commander’s aide…” Emiya shook hands, and tried her best to make eye contact. Once she actually looked, she saw a tall boy with auburn hair hidden underneath a wool flat cap, dressed in finely made clothes, leaning against a cane in his right hand and with a pleasant smile that made the whole world seem just fine.

“Pleased to meet you Emiya. I’ve heard a lot about you, so it’s nice to put a face to the name.” 

“Oh… right… Is that so? I mean… uhm… really?” For some reason Emiya’s nervousness and stammering was gone, and she felt calm. She didn’t know why, she just knew that she did. Time didn’t seem to move, and she felt her cheeks get warm as she began to smile sheepishly.

“Yeah. Emma’s told me quite a bit.”

“Emma?” Emiya asked, confused, and tilted her head to the side slightly.

“Oh, right. I keep forgetting. I guess you would know her as Rosehip.”

“You know Vice-Commander Rosehip-Senpai?!” 

“Do I ever…” The boy rolled his eyes and smiled anew. “She’s my sister.”

“Oh… I, uh, I didn’t know she had a… _oh, what’s the word…_ right, brother. I didn’t know she had a brother”

“Well, in a way I guess she doesn’t have _a_ brother.” The boy chuckled to himself. “I’m the youngest of six sons.” Emiya began to giggle at the comment, even if she didn’t really know why.

“Is the Commander in?”

“Oh, yeah. Right. The commander. Uh… yeah. She’s in, yes.” Emiya didn’t exactly feel nervous, but she did feel like she was acting a fool. Even though she was perfectly calm, she didn’t seem to know what to say, and had a hard time getting a coherent thought together. “I, uhm, I need to, uhm… The archives. Right. That’s it. I need to get these to the archives.” She quickly bowed as thanks to the boy, and rushed off down the stairs. “Thank you very much!” she yelled back awkwardly as she was halfway down the stairs.

As soon as she reached the next floor, she stopped and leaned against a pillar, holding the documents tightly against her chest. She took deep breaths, trying to calm down and get her heart to stop beating louder than the engine of Vice-Commander Rosehip-Senpai’s Crusader. She glanced at herself in a mirror that hung upon the wall, and saw that her cheeks, her entire face really, were crimson red. “What… what just happened…” she said to herself, not fully understanding.

* * *

**Friday, 18:05**

“Jane? You ready?” Charles called out as he entered the apartment.

“Ye-yeah! I’m almost done!” he heard her yell back from the study, so he made his way towards it. As he rounded the corner, he could see that Jane was nowhere near done. She was still in her school uniform, and was busy cleaning up some mess on her desk.

“You know,” he said, and leaned against the doorframe, “You and I have two very different interpretations of the word ‘ready’.”

“In my defense, I never said I was ready,” Jane replied as she dried off a bunch of pens with a towel. “I just said I was almost done.”

“I see,” Charles sighed with a smile, and walked over to turn off the record player in the corner. “Maybe I should have gotten you a grandfather clock instead. Perhaps then you’d actually be on time one of these days.”

“Very funny,” Jane replied and rolled her eyes.

“Thank you, I’m here all week,” Charles chuckled, before sitting down by the other desk in the room. “I see you took my advice. Has she helped?”

“Emiya? Oh, she’s been absolutely indispensable. I don’t know how Lady Darjeeling managed to handle everything without someone like her.”

“I met her in the stairway just now. She seems like a sweet girl.”

“Oh does she know?” Jane put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. “Should I be jealous?”

“If you wish.” Charles got up from his seat, and walked over to Jane. “But I don’t think it will help either of us. You know I only have eyes for you.” He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “Now come on, our reservations in 15 minutes.”

“You go ahead. I have to clean this up first, and I’ll join you there?” Now it was Charles turn to raise an eyebrow, but Jane reached up and kissed him on the cheek, before giving him a rocky smile. “Oh come on, ye have little faith. Just go, and I’ll be there before you know it.”

* * *

**Friday, 19:07**

Charles took another look at his pocket watch. It had been an hour since he left Jane in the apartment. _There before I know it, huh?_ He thought to himself. He really should know better by now. Jane was an amazing person in so many ways and he had no intention of spending his life with anyone else, but sometimes it was like she operated in her own timezone.

“Charles?” Edamura calling his name brought him back to the present.

“Huh?”

“It’s your play.” He nodded to the table.

“Right, so it is.” Charles reached out and grabbed a new tile, discarding a white dragon he didn’t really need, but had been keeping a hold off to spite Shiro. As he had predicted, Shiro breathed a sigh of relief and called the tile for himself, bringing him uncomfortably close to a completed hand.

“You know, she’s not going to get here any faster just because you keep looking at the time.” Edamura said as the game continued moving around the table.

“I suppose you’re right,” Charles answered and smiled slightly, sighing at his latest draw. It was nowhere near what he wanted, so he simply discarded it. “It would make getting dinner reservations a lot easier though.”

The game continued a few more turns around the table, as did the conversation, until Charles managed to draw the 4 of bamboo, giving him a quad and an extra tile. His luck kept up, and he ended the game there and then.

“Well, I believe that’s another round for me gentlemen. That would be… let me just count here a second… 1600 yen from each of you.” Charles smiled innocently to his companions who groaned at losing even more money to a teenager. While they rummaged through their wallets for his winnings, Charles' attention was drawn to the door of the pub as it opened, and Jane stepped inside, trying her best not to look out of breath.

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up.” He nodded to the door as he collected his winnings from the center of the table.

“Jane, you really must learn to be on time. Or you’ll be to blame for us ending up in poverty.” Edamura called to her as he put his wallet back in his pocket, grumbling slightly at Charles.

“Oh, don’t be such a sore loser, my friend. I’ll even buy you both a round.” Charles handed some of the winnings back to the older man and pat him on the shoulder, before getting up from his seat. “Now, as much as I would love to keep playing you for all you’re worth, I have a lovely date to attend to.” He turned to Takeshi with an apologetic look. “I hope our table’s still available, Takeshi, despite our tardiness?”

“Well, just maybe. I’m only keeping it so long because you’re regulars, so don’t tell anyone.” Takeshi bellowed with a smile, as he usually did, and led Jane and Charles through the empty pub to their table.

* * *

**Friday, 19:56**

“Thank you, Takeshi,” Charles said to the burly man as he took their now empty plates away. “Delicious as always.”

“Flattery’s not going to get you anywhere, boy. Not after taking all that money off of me.” Takeshi replied with a gruff growl, but soon smiled and laughed in his usual manner. “Just kidding. Glad to hear it met expectations.”

“It truly did. My compliments to the chef,” Jane followed up and and smiled.

“Why thank you most kindly, my dear. Anything for my best customers.” Takeshi nodded to them both, and walked off with the dishes.

“So…” Charles said and refocused his attention on Jane. “I need to talk to you about something…”

“What… _What_ do we need to talk about?” Jane asked carefully, not entirely sure where the conversation was heading.

“I’m going to tell you something, and I need you to let me finish before you start yelling at me, ok?”

“Uhuh…” A sense of worry started to appear in the pit of her stomach, and she wasn’t entirely sure if it was warranted.

“So, a few weeks back, some of my kouhai at St. George came up to me and started asking me some questions. They had found out that I was dating you, and they wanted to start doing Sensha-Do, and so…”

“Charles, no.”

“Let me finish.”

“Not for all the records in the world, Charles.”

“I said let me finish.”

“You told them you’d get me to teach them the basics, didn’t you?”

“Well, I mean…” Charles shrugged and smiled, “Yeah, I-I… I kinda did, yeah.”

“Boys have no place anywhere near a tank. If they want to rush around in military hardware they can damn well go pester Fitz for it. Boys can’t do Sensha-do, and you know that.”

“Hey now, it’s not like it’s illegal. There’s men’s Sensha-do being practiced all over the country.”

“Yeah, and no one watches it, because boys stink at it.”

“Don’t you think it’s stupid that no one pays it any attention? What possible harm could come to the sport by more people doing it?”

“They’re amateurs! They couldn’t pick out a Crusader from a Tortoise even if they had their names written across them. They miss textbook shots. They build and fall into traps a five-year old could have spotted. Whatever those morons are doing, it sure isn’t Sensha-Do.”

“Jane, you’re being unreasonable.”

“No, I’m not. There are just some things that women are better at, and handling a tank is one of them!”

“Jane…”

“Besides, I don’t have the time. My schedule is packed. Tell them I’m busy, and that they should consider Hikoki-do instead.”

“Aha! But you’re not! I happen to know for a fact that you’re completely free tomorrow!”

“No, I’m not.” Jane looked out the window and pouted in an attempt to cover up her lie. “‘Q’ had some stuff she needed to talk about.”

“Jane, just give up. I asked Emma, and she told me. You have absolutely nothing going on tomorrow, do you?”

“Damnit, Emma… Betrayed by my best friend.” Jane sighed. “Fine. But I still think this is a stupid idea.” She looked out the window again. “Where’s she off to anyways? She just came knocking on my door this morning telling me she was going away for the weekend.”

“She’s in Yamanashi. Grandpa needed some help with his car, so she’s over there for the weekend helping fix it.”

“Huh. So not only does she betray me, she’s fled the field entirely.” Jane chuckled slightly and smiled at Charles. “Alright then, I guess I’m teaching them. But I’m gonna get you back for this, just so you know.”

Charles chuckled as well and returned the smile as Takeshi came over with their dessert. “Oh, I expect nothing but your worst.”

* * *

**Friday, 21:03**

As they got back to Jane’s apartment after the dinner, they both collapsed on the couch to relax. Charles sat leaned casually backwards in the corner, while Jane lay down using his thigh as a pillow.

“I saw your match with Anzio the other week,” Charles said as he played with a lock of her hair. “You really outdid yourself.”

“You think so? I just felt like a moron the whole time. What was I even thinking trying to send Hatsumi to the flank like that?”

“You won, didn’t you? You won, and no one got hurt. Surely that’s all you can ask for?”

“I guess.” Jane showed a sheepish smile as she looked up at him, before a quizzical look appeared in her eye as she reached up and caressed his chin. “You know, I gotta tell you something…”

“What is it? I haven’t done anything wrong have I? Except for the many times I did, I mean?”

“No, it’s not you. It’s… it’s about me…” She glanced down and put a hand on her belly, before looking up again with a nervous smile. “I… I…”

“Wait, don’t tell me…” Jane nodded and smiled sheepishly. “I mean, you’re not… are you?” Charles was filled with nothing but concern, worry and panic as he looked down at her.

“I… I uhm… well… I… I was gonna wait to tell you, but… I absolutely hate the beard.” Charles looked at her with a stunned expression, while Jane burst out laughing. “Oh my god, you should have seen your face. I got you so good!”

“Very funny.” Charles gave a quick pout, and ran a thumb through his short and stubly beard. “You could have just told me you didn’t like it, and I’d just have gotten rid of it. You don’t have to play with my emotions like that.”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you I’d get you back for that little stunt you pulled at dinner?” She reached up and kissed him, still giggling at her own joke.

“And you say _I_ don’t take things seriously…” He sighed and shook his head, before getting up and pacing back and forth a few times, an annoyed but loving smile on his lips. “So,” he said and glanced over to where Jane had hung the commander’s sabre on the wall, “You wanna just joke around all night, or do you want another lesson? Or perhaps you want a different kind of exercise?

“Well,” Jane said in a sultry voice and got up from the sofa, putting a hand on his chest and leaning into him with a smile, “I don’t see why we can’t make time for both.”

* * *

**Saturday, 09:26**

Jane was awoken by faint sunlight gleaming in through the blinds, and the bed shaking slightly as a weight lifted from the springs. She stirred slightly and yawned, turning to see Charles putting on his waistcoat.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No, it’s…” she yawned again. “It’s fine. You’re leaving?”

“Yeah, sorry. I need to swing by the house and change. Can’t have people see me in the same clothes as yesterday, now can I? Plus I gotta meet with my Kouhai.”

“What about them?”

“You agreeing to train them, remember?”

“Oh, right.” Jane looked down with a disappointed look. “I did agree to that, didn’t I?”

“You did. It wasn’t just a bad dream.” He sat back down on the bed, and bent down to kiss her forehead. “There’s still some coffee in the pot if you want.”

“Mmm, I really am lucky to have you, aren’t I?”

“You are,” Charles laughed, and patted her head a few times before getting to his feat and grabbing his cane. “I’ll see you by the training field, three o’clock this afternoon, ok? And please don’t be late, I don’t want them to get the wrong impression.”

“Fine, I’ll be there.” she sighed, but smiled at him as he stood by the door. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Even when you’re late.” Charles ducked out through the door before he could be hit by the pillow Jane threw at him.

* * *

**Saturday, 15:03**

“Are you sure this is when we were supposed to meet them, Senpai?”

“Yes, I’m quite sure.”

“But they’re not he…”

“They’ll be here, don’t worry. They’re just running a little late.” He was about to take a look at his watch as he heard a rumble coming from the top of the small hill leading down towards St. Gloriana’s training field. Cresting the hill came the _Victory_ , Jane’s command tank, and a smaller one without a roof he hadn’t seen before. 

His four kouhai gazed upon the tanks with awe as they rolled down onto the field, and came to a halt before them. Hatsumi quickly climbed out of the smaller tank, and was soon joined by Jane and Emiya, as well as a third girl with brown hair Charles hadn’t met before as they climbed out of the _Victory_.

“Gentlemen.” Jane nodded to the assembled quintet, and gave Charles a look.

“Fellas, may I introduce the Commander of St. Gloriana’s Sensha-Do team, Lady Orange Pekoe. Commander, these four are Yusashi Sato , Yuichi Koike, Susumu Isa, and Kinzo Zakai.” Each of them bowed in turn as he introduced them.

“Thank you very much for this opportunity, Ma’am.” They said in unison once Charles was done. Thankfully they didn’t see Jane rolling her eyes.

“Alright then, let’s get to work shall we. Let’s start by settling what role each of you will fulfill. You’ll need a driver, a loader, a gunner, and a commander.”

There was some ruckus as the four boys scuffled over who would get to do what, which was quickly settled by a few energetic rounds of rock, paper, scissors.

Jane sighed. “OK, then let’s get you in the tank then. No better way to learn than doing the real deal…”

“Excuse me, Commander?” Kinzo said as he raised his hand.

“Yes?” Jane answered, annoyed at the interruption.

“What’s that little one for?” He pointed to the smaller of the two tanks, even if it was still a fair bit taller than any of them.

“That ‘little one’ is the _Agincourt_. She’s an Archer-tank destroyer and is perfect for teaching you the basics…”

“But why can’t we do Sensha-Do in that one?!” Susumu protested and pointed to the _Victory_.

“The _Victory_?” Jane laughed. “She’s a Churchill Mk. VII with a 75mm gun.”

“I’ve heard of that!” Yuichi said excitedly. “That’s a good brand!”

Her new students didn’t notice, but Charles could see Jane’s eyebrow twitch as she glanced at him. The glance alone said more than a thousand words. _I told you this was a stupid idea,_ it said.

 _Now, now, play nice,_ he mouthed silently, and Jane sighed.

“Alright, fine. Have a go then.”

“I’m sorry, Commander?”

“Go on. Show me what you’re made of. You have the _Victory_ for now, Mister Sato.” She nodded to the tank and crossed her arms. “Get in, get her moving to the firing range over there, and fire on one of the targets.”

“But what about…”

“No but’s. Your time starts now, gentlemen.” She nodded to Charles, who picked up his pocket watch to check the time while the four boys ran excitedly towards the tank and clambered up and onto it, before disappearing into the hatches. “This should be fun…” Jane mused to her companions as they looked at the spectacle.

* * *

**Saturday, 15:21**

After a few minutes had passed and nothing had happened, Jane shook her head, and looked over to Charles.

“Didn’t I tell you this was gonna happen? Oh well, Ruhuna, go and help our gallant knights get her moving. We’ll see you over by the firing range.”

“With pleasure, Commander.” Ruhuna smirked and cracked her knuckles as she walked over to the _Victory_ , climbing on top of it with ease and yanking the hatch open. “Alright, what’s the issue? If you’d been under my command I’d have you thrown out by now, but you’re lucky the Commander is more forgiving.”

“Shall we?” Jane said nonchalantly and gestured towards the firing range. She didn’t wait for a reply before walking off, and Hatsumi and Emiya followed swiftly behind. They cut a striking figure in their red uniforms as they crossed the training field. Charles chuckled to himself, before following suit a few paces behind. He had suspected something like this was going to happen.

* * *

**Saturday, 15:43**

“Well Commander, I think you’re gonna have to get up here!” Ruhuna called down from on top of the _Victory_ with a grin as it rolled up to the firing range. Jane shook her head and sighed before walking over to her beloved tank.

“Look, I’m sorry about this. Just a little while longer, then you’ll be back with people who know how to treat you,” she whispered to the Churchill and put a hand on the armor-skirt, before climbing up to the turret. “Very well Ruhuna, what’s the issue now?”

Ruhuna nodded to the loader’s hatch with a grin. “I think it’s best if you see for yourself.” She pulled the hatch open, and Jane had to try not to laugh at the sight. A small giggle did escape, but not something the boys would notice. Sitting in the loader’s seat, having crammed himself into a very strange position, was Susumu. To say he was struggling to get the shell loaded was an understatement.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“I’m… hah… I’m sorry, Ma’am, but it’s just… It’s just really heavy…”

“Oh but for heaven’s sake… Use your legs, not your back, you… ugh, nevermind.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and drew a few deep breaths while she waited for him to get the shell into position. “Finally. Mister Koike, aim and fire at the second target from the right please.”

“Yes, Ma’am” he called back in a cocky tone, and the turret slowly began to rotate into position. It then began to move back again as Yuichi realized he had gone too far, and then back again as he tried to correct his over-correction, but then, finally, after the better part of a torturous hour, the _Victory_ ’s 75mm cannon fired, and the shell missed by at least a dozen yards.

“Now, _that_ is why you’re starting with the _Agincourt_ ,” Jane said, trying to not sound too self-satisfied, her point having been proven.

* * *

**Saturday, 17:37**

“That’s it, I can’t do anymore…” Kinzo sighed and leaned back in the driver’s seat.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be able to lift my arms for a week…” Susumu concurred.

“Oh, that’s a shame…” Jane said in a teasing voice. “And here I was led to believe the boys of St. George had abilities beyond the rest of us mortals.” She sighed and feigned disappointment. “I guess my Charles is merely an exception. I really thought you boys would be more impressive than this.”

“HEY!” Yuichi called from the gunner’s position. “No one insults St. George and gets away with it!”

“Yeah, We’re the best of the best!” Yusashi joined in, clearly fired up by Jane’s remark. “Just you watch, we can beat any girl in a tank like this!”

“I’ll do you one better,” Jane said with a sly smile as the _Superb_ came rolling down towards them. “How about this; You four in the _Agincourt_ , versus Ruhuna, Emiya and Rukuriri in the _Superb_?” She pointed to the Tetrarch as it came to a halt and Hatsumi jumped out of it. “We girls aren’t as strong as you boys, so it’s only fitting we use a smaller and less powerful tank, isn’t it?”

“R-right now? W-well… uhm…” The four boys looked nervously at each other. “Well, you see…”

“Oh, come now boys, what happened to all that gusto you showed just now? Surely you’re not scared to face some girls?” Jane made sure to put extra weight and emphasis on the word ‘girls’. 

“We’re not scared of anything! We just don’t want to embarrass you lovely ladies,” Susumu said and puffed up his chest.

“Oh, the thought had occurred to us, but I suppose it’s merely a risk we must take. Besides, being defeated by the boys of St. George could be nothing but a badge of honor.”

“R-right… then I guess… I guess we have no choice…”

“Y-yeah. Just don’t start crying when we beat you.”

“Oh, there’ll be no risk of that…” Jane said under her breath, and smiled.

* * *

**Saturday, 18:00**

“Alright, pay up.” Jane said and held out a hand towards Charles, who reluctantly put a 500-yen coin in her open palm.

“You know, you could have told them to go easy on them,” he noted.

“I did. I gave them a handicap by only making them face a Tetrarch, I told Emiya to fire a couple of warning shots first, and I told Ruhuna not to take it too seriously. What more do you want from me?”

“Alright, fine,” Charles chuckled, “You’ve made your point. Assuming you haven’t utterly demoralized them, I’ll call the federation the next time they need a teacher.”

Both teams bowed to each other, even if there were some grumbling from the boys as they left the venue, and excited laughter from the girls.

“So, that’s Sensha-do, fellas. Still interested?” Charles asked of his kouhai as they walked down the gangway from the _Ark Royal_.

“You kidding? Didn’t you see how much they kicked our asses?”

“I did. Still, I think it was a good first experience for you…”

“We’re gonna train everyday if that's what it takes to beat those stuck-up girls! Thank you for this opportunity, Senpai. It really helped!” The four boys ran ahead of Charles as they crossed the dock and up the _Audacity_ ’s gangway, while Charles kept walking at his own slow pace. Just as he got to the bottom of the walkway however, he was bumped into by Emma.

“Hi Emma. how did it…” he didn’t get any further before his sister had begun running up the walkway to the Ark Royal, ignoring him completely, “...go?”

**_To be Continued..._ **


	14. S2E2: 30 Hours in Yokohama Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We go back in time to see what Emma has been up to during the events of part 1.

**Season 2, Episode 2:** **_30 Hours in Yokohama Part 2_ **

* * *

**Friday, 13:08**

“...and I’m telling you, you really should come along!”

“No can do, Fitz,” Charles answered disinterestedly, glancing up from his book at Fitzwilliam, who was pacing excitedly back and forth in the hangar, bragging about his extraordinary weekend plans to anyone who would listen, or more accurately, anyone within earshot. “I’m busy. Tonight I’m meeting Jane, and if all goes well, tomorrow I’ll be helping out those freshmen who wanted to take up Sensha-Do.”

Fitzwilliam scoffed and chuckled at this. “As if Jane would ever let boys even get near Gloria’s tanks. I’m telling you, you should come along with me instead! It’s gonna be awesome! I’m sure we can even find a nice girl for a cripple like you!”

“I  _ have _ a nice girl,Fitz,” Charles noted with an accompanying look.

“ _ I’m kidding, _ ” Fitz replied with a friendly pat on Charles’ shoulder. “Just because you’re Student council president doesn’t mean you need to be so uptight  _ all the time _ ! Let loose a little now and then, why don’t you?”

“I think you’re loose enough for the both of us,” Charles joked, and got up from the bench he had been sitting on. “So no, I’ll stick to my original plans. You’re gonna have to have fun on your own, you womanizing pirate,” he said, and playfully knocked his friend over the head with his cane.

“Oh, don’t you worry, I’ll have  _ plenty _ of company,” Fitz answered with a grin. “But, oh well.” He shrugged, and threw his hands up in defeat. “Tell Jane I said hi.”

“You know, I think she’d be happier if I didn’t…”

“Yeah, probably.”

* * *

**Friday, 13:46**

As he opened the door to his parents house, Charles was met by a peculiar sight. A trail of clothes lay scattered across the floor, leading from one end of the house to the other. Fearing the worst, he followed the trail in the direction of his room, and was more disappointed than surprised to see that his wardrobe had been ransacked.

Turning and following the trail the other way, despite having a decent enough idea where it was leading already, he could feel a rare anger begin to boil up inside him.

“EMMA!!!” he yelled as he flung the door to his sister’s room open. “YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE MY STUFF ALONE!”

His yell died down rather quickly however, along with his anger, as he looked upon what he saw beyond. After a moment had passed, and he had had time to take in the sight, he couldn’t help but laugh. “What on earth are you doing?”

Standing before him was Emma, her face almost as red as her hair. Surrounding her were piles upon piles of his clothes. Shirts, trousers, waistcoats, jackets, ties, and more. Emma herself was wearing one of his white shirts sloppily buttoned, and in each hand she held another shirt, seemingly having held them in front of herself before the mirror to approximate how they would look.

“What am I doing? What are  _ you _ doing?!” she asked in her embarrassment, trying to pass the blame back on him. “You can’t just burst into my room like that! STOP LAUGHING!”

It took a few seconds for Charles to calm himself to the point of being able to speak properly, which only added to Emma’s flustered annoyance. “I’m sorry, sis. But honestly, what on earth are you doing, and why the hell have you raided my wardrobe?”

“Because I needed to, OK? I’m meeting Assam-senpai tomorrow, and I needed something to wear!”

Charles had several questions following this statement, but he opened with the most obvious one. “So then why don’t you use your own clothes?”

“I can’t do that! I’ll look like a delinquent tomboy!” Emma shrunk slightly, her shoulders slumping as she looked down at the floor. “I… I can’t look like that tomorrow… I… I need to be someone else… someone Assam-senpai will like… A-and so I just thought…”

Charles could fill in the rest. She wanted to at least look like she was calm, collected, and elegant like Elinor wanted her to be, and apparently thought her best option for that was to take a page from his book.

“Alright, that much I can understand,” Charles said and sat down on the edge of Emma’s bed. “So you finally asked her out then?”

Emma’s face lit up for a moment, before panic and uncertainty returned. “Y-yeah… or… no… not really… it was her who… or… I mean… it’s not really a date… it’s… it’s not even close to a date actually... we’re just going to the movies… t-that’s… that’s something old senpais do with their kouhai, right? She doesn’t actually mean anything by this, does she? It’s just going to be two old team-mates going to see a movie, won’t it? That’s something people do, right? There’s nothing weird about this, is there? Or… is there? Did she… I mean… do you think… no… no… it’s just… it’s just… it’s just as senpai and kouhai, right?”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine, whatever it means. Just be yourself, and everything’s gonna work out great.”

“No, it won’t! I can’t just show up like myself, are you crazy? She’s explicitly told me she doesn’t like me when I’m like myself, so I’m gonna need to be someone else! Now are you going to scold me for taking your clothes, or are you gonna help me?!”

Charles chuckled for a moment, before shaking his head. “Well, what kind of heartless brother would I be if I let you down. Just do me a small favor, and I’ll do everything I can to help.”

“What?”

“Is Jane busy tomorrow?”

“Don’t think so?” Emma answered with a confused look.

“Nothing at all on her schedule?”

Emma looked up at the ceiling for a moment, before shaking her head. “Not a thing. Emiya and I made sure to give her a day off every now and then to make sure she doesn’t go crazy again.”

“Good to hear,” Charles said with a sly grin. “So, our first step is going to be moving on to stuff that actually fits you,” he said and got back up from the bed. “Jane and I’ll be rooting for you, so let’s make this work as well as possi-”

“No-no-no-no-no, Jane can’t ever know about this!” Emma protested.

“Uh… alright then…” Charles acquiesced. “But then, won’t she notice you’re missing?”

“I told her I’m helping gramps fix an engine. She doesn’t expect to see me until Sunday.”

“Very well,” Charles nodded and clapped his hands. “So, what do you have in mind?”

* * *

**Graduation day, several weeks ago…**

“A-assam-senpai, I… I just wanted to thank you for all your help these two years,” Nightingale said and bowed.

“Thank you, Nightingale,” she answered with a smile. “I’m sure you’ll be just as excellent next year.” After having her picture taken with her kouhai, Elinor finally managed to get a moment of respite. She took a few steps back from the swarming crowd of under-classmen wanting to wish their seniors goodbye, and drew a few breaths.

“Well, well, well…” Elizabeth said from beside her. “I see someone’s popular. It’s good to know you won’t have a hard time making someone new fall for you once you leave Rosehip behind.” She smirked at her friend, and Elinor answered with a roll of her eyes.

“Very droll, Liz.” She glanced back at the crowd from their vantage point. “You done? Or do you and our new commander need to talk?”

Elizabeth drew a breath of anticipation, seemingly steeling herself. “Yeah, I suppose I should give her a few words of encouragement. God knows she could use them.” She took a few steps forwards, before stopping and turning back towards Elinor. “And while I do that, perhaps there’s someone you should share a few final words as well?” She was smiling in that annoying yet affectionate way that only Elizabeth could, but Elinor knew she was right.

“I know…” she replied with a slight sense of worry. “Not that I know what to say.”

“Oh, just go with the flow and say whatever comes naturally!” Elizabeth said back in friendly mockery. “You could use the change of pace!” She turned back towards the crowd and walked towards it, the gathered members of the Sensha-Do team parting before her. Elinor steeled herself for a moment, and followed. When Elizabeth took Orange Pekoe away to have a heart-to-heart between commanders, Elinor saw Rosehip ready to follow, and intercepted her path.

“Let them talk in private, Emma,” she said to the pink-haired girl, and led her away from both the old and new commander, and the still gathered crowd to a spot beside the team’s garage where they could speak without any prying eyes. “Orange Pekoe doesn’t need us there making it awkward.”

“Oh… right…” the first-year said in an awkward and stilted fashion. “I… I guess I should congratulate you, Assam-senpai…” She didn’t look Elinor in the eyes, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground. “I just wanted to… I mean… I just... No… nevermind… Go-good luck, senpai.”

At first Elinor didn’t know how to answer. She had been drowned in well-meaning wishes and goodbyes from everyone else on the team and handled it without issue. But of course, Rosehip wasn’t like everyone else.

“R-right… I-I mean, yes, thank you, Rosehip. Good luck to you too.”

“Well…” Rosehip said in a low voice and pouted as she put her hands in her pockets. “I… I guess this is goodbye… Isn’t it?”

Again Elinor was taken aback. She cursed under her breath.  _ Why did she have to be so forwards about it...  _ “I… I guess… it is…” she answered, her voice equally low.

“Well… then… G-goodbye, Senpai. I hope you do well at university…” Rosehip turned and began to walk meekly away. For a second or two, Elinor only watched her, but without her really realizing, a yell let out from between her lips and she involuntarily took a step forwards.

“Rosehip, wait!” 

The younger girl stopped and turned around, a combined look of sadness, resignation, and reluctant anticipation on her face. “Y-yes… Assam-Senpai?”

Elinor only stood and stared blankly before her. She had no idea what she was going to say. Nor what she wanted to say. She had just blurted it out without thinking. The anticipation in Rosehip’s eyes began to die down, and it was clear she was about to leave again. She was going to leave Elinor behind, and go rush off somewhere else, just like she always did.

“I… I…”  _ Oh come on, brain! What the hell do I want to say?! _ “I just… I just wanted to say… to say…”

“To say what, senpai?” Rosehip said in meek tones, clearly hesitant to hope.

“I just… just… I just realized… just realized…” Elinor hated herself. She was babbling like a fool, and not a word of what she actually wanted to say was getting out properly. Not that she knew what she wanted to say anyways. She paused, steeled herself, and started anew. “I just realized that we never talked about what we said to each other when we got locked in that storage room together…”

“There’s nothing to discuss, Assam-Senpai.” With that, Rosehip began to walk away, but Elinor reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her.

“Maybe there is?” she said with a gentle smile, not entirely sure what she meant herself. Rosehip looked at her with surprise and a lack of understanding, her cheeks red.

“What… uhm… what do you mean?”

_ Excellent question _ , Elinor thought.  _ I haven’t the faintest idea myself. _

“I mean… I mean… I just wanted to…”

“Please, Assam-senpai… I can’t do this… not now… Not when you’re leaving...”

The sincerity in Rosehip’s voice brought fresh conviction into Elinor’s, and she took a breath before speaking. “Look, I don’t really know or understand how I feel. But I know I feel  _ something _ . And I know you like to rush through life at a break-neck pace, and that’s what makes you  _ you _ , but... if you can… Please, just... I’d like you to slow down a bit, and wait for me.” She took Rosehip’s hands and grabbed them tightly. “I’ll figure this out sooner or later, I promise,” she said softly and smiled.

For the first few seconds, Rosehip only stared blankly at Elinor, seemingly trying to process what she had just said.

“Is… Is that ok?”

Rosehip continued to look at Elinor, a pout reappearing on her lips as she stood silent with tears beginning to form in her eyes. “I… I… I…” The dam burst, and tears flowed freely as Rosehip almost tackled Elinor, nuzzling herself closely against her senior. “It’s not fair! It’s just not fair!I don’t want you to leave, Assam-senpai! It’s not fair! You can’t just leave me like this!” she blubbered through the tears as Elinor embraced her in a hug, trying her best to comfort the pink-haired girl, while simultaneously trying to keep herself from breaking down into tears.

“Shh… It’s ok… It’s all going to be ok…”

“No it’s not! You’re leaving and I’ll be alone!”

“You’re not going to be alone. Orange Pekoe and Rukuriri will still be here with you, as will the rest of the team. And you’re going to be just fine…”

“NO! No, I won’t! It’s not going to be the same without you here,  _ and it’s not going to be OK! _ ”

A thought crossed Elinor’s mind, and she let Rosehip go for a moment, reaching up to the black ribbon she used to tie her hair while Rosehip continued crying against her. “Well, then what if I leave a part of me with you? Would that make it OK?” With a swift tug she released the ribbon from her hair, and with trained hands she quickly retied it in Rosehip’s pink hair, fastening it into a small ponytail.

Rosehip sniffled as she reached up to her new hairdo, looking up at Elinor’s now free-flowing hair. “A-Assam-senpai?”

“Being the Commander is a tough job, and Pekoe’s going to need help. And since I won’t be here to hold you back anymore, I guess this ribbon will have to do it for me.” She smiled down at Rosehip, and hugged her tight again. “Besides, it’s not like I’m gone forever. I’ll still be right here in Yokohama. We’ll see each other again, I know it.”

* * *

**Saturday, 13:56**

Elinor looked at her watch and sighed. Why had she been so stupid? Why the hell did she ask Rosehip if she was free today? She should have just spent her weekend at the team’s firing range, working on her aim. She might have been at the top of the league while she was at St. Gloriana, but the university-circuit was a whole other ball game, and she needed to catch up with Naomi before the tournament-season started up properly. And still, even if she  _ didn’t _ want to do anything productive with her Saturday, she could just have let Kay drag her out to some bar instead. At least that way she wouldn’t remember her own stupidity and embarrassment the day after.

But instead, here she was, waiting anxiously in a park like she was going on a date. She wasn’t. Was she? She sighed once more, bowing her head. The past few weeks had been so packed with graduation, finding an apartment, moving, starting her classes, taking the gunner’s exam for the university’s Sensha-Do team, and so much more that she hadn’t even had the time to think about Rosehip.

Not that Elinor had any intention or need to think about Rosehip. The girl just came up in her mind whenever her mind drifted to how things were going back on the  _ Ark Royal _ . She wondered how Orange Pekoe had adjusted to command, how many new recruits the team had gotten, if they had any practice matches planned, how Rosehip was doing as Pekoe’s second-in-command, if she was doing OK, if she was lonely, if she was missing her, if she-

_ No. Stop it! Stop thinking about Rosehip all the time! _

She shook her head back and forth and gave her cheeks a few quick slaps to try and get Rosehip out of her head. She was failing. As always, that crimson-haired enigma was pounding at the walls of her mind, and just like always her defenders were stretched thin trying to keep it at bay. No, not like always. When she was still at St. Gloriana, the walls of her mind were better defended than this. She might not have been able to strike the enigma down, but she could at least keep it at bay, letting the answers she used to defend the palace in her mind rotate and rest between skirmishes with the monstrous assailant that came at her time and time again.

She had been dealing with this threat for a year after all. She knew its strengths and weaknesses, and how and where it would strike. But then she suddenly didn’t, and her battle became more desperate.

Ever since she left the carrier, the assaults on her walls had become more frequent. They had become more forceful. They had become more successful, and her knights could barely keep up. More than once had she been sitting in a class and realized that not only was the professor done with their lecture, but that she had neither notes nor memory of what had been said. All menial tasks had been neglected, and all resources had been diverted as her mind had seen necessary to fully mobilize in order to keep up its mission; Total war on the enigma pounding at the gates.

Now it seemed this beast’s tactics had changed once more, as insurgencies began rising up and fighting in the rest of her body as well. Whenever her mind wandered and found itself back upon the subject of Rosehip, her skin grew warm, her heart began beating faster, and she almost felt faint.

She hated all of it, but most of all she hated not understanding it or why it was happening. And so she had done what a good warrior always did when they faced an unknown foe. She set to reconnaissance and gathering intelligence. Which in this case had meant asking to see if Rosehip was available for the day.

A decision she had been cursing for the past week, and still did. Why had she been so stupid, and could she possibly find a way to get out of it?

She glanced down at her watch again. It still wasn’t quite 2 o’clock. If she was quick, she could text Rosehip and tell her she was sick, and just get back to her apartment and hide and-

“Hello, Assam-Senpai!” Rosehip’s voice rang out behind her. “You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”

_ Crud… _

“Not at all,” Elinor answered and turned around, “I just.. showed… up…” Her lie was drowned out by silence as she had to stop herself from letting her jaw hang agape.

At first she wasn’t quite sure that the person before her was Rosehip. The face, hair, and build was all there, but beyond that Elinor wasn’t sure that even Charles would recognize her. Actually, she almost looked more like Charles than she looked herself.

She wore a white shirt with a black, no, dark-purple tie, hidden under a black waistcoat. Accompanying this was a set of navy trousers and freshly shined shoes, and a dark brown suede coat. Her red hair was tied neatly into a ponytail by the ribbon Assam had given her, and completing the ensemble was a simple black cane with a handle of iron, which she had most certainly taken from her brother. Most likely the entire outfit had been stolen from Charles’ wardrobe, or at the least been put together under his sharp eye.

“Something the matter?”

“Wha-huh? O-oh… No, everything’s… everything’s fine.”

“I… I uh… I like your new bow…”

“Huh?” Elinor asked, having not entirely heard the question. No, not the question, the statement. “Y-you mean this?” she stuttered, feeling a strange warming sensation in her cheeks as she reached up towards the white ribbon she had tied her hair up with in lieu of the one she had given to Rosehip. “T-thanks, I guess… I-I… I, uhm… You look nice too…”

“Oh, why thank you,” Rosehip answered with a polite smile, before making a small gesture to the entrance of the park. “Shall we?”

* * *

_ “My Lady!” _

_ “Will it never be gone? The blood. I wash and wash, yet the blood remains - and the smell! Will my hands never again be clean?” _

_ “Asaji!” _

_ “There is still blood. My hands. Why do they not become clean? I wash and wash, still they smell of blood.” _

_ “Asaji!” _

_ … _

Elinor cursed under her breath as her attention snapped back to the projection screen before her for the fourth time since they had sat down. She had missed one of the best scenes.

But she couldn’t help it. Even though this was just supposed to be two old schoolmates going to the movies together, everything felt so awkward. She had prepared herself to face Rosehip once more, but now everything was just awkward. Not even in the way it had used to be. She had prepared herself for the Rosehip she knew, the one who viewed all of life as a joke and sped around at a breakneck pace. The one who wouldn’t listen to a word she said and did nothing but annoy her.

But that Rosehip was gone. It was as if she was with an entirely different person. This Rosehip was calm and collected. She was patient and polite, elegant and thoughtful. And it did not suit her in the slightest. Despite her attempts, she had seemed stiff, awkward, and uncomfortable ever since they had met up this afternoon, and it had begun to rub off on Elinor.

If she had a hard time acting like normal around Rosehip, now it was completely impossible. Even as her favorite film was being projected on the screen before them, all she could do was glance over at Rosehip every five seconds. Or at least, the girl who called herself Rosehip. Neither this girl’s appearance nor her way of being was anything remotely like Rosehip. She had picked out her favorite movie to watch, despite Elinor being certain she held not a sliver of interest in it, had bought and paid for snacks Elinor liked, acted restrained and refined, and all-around was everything Elinor had wished Rosehip would be like during their time together on the  _ Ark Royal _ .

So why did everything feel so awkward?

It was all just awkward and annoying. Her mind was just too busy with thoughts, and she was too busy glancing over at whatever creature had taken Rosehip’s place that any possible enjoyment or sense of finality she could have gotten from the afternoon became an impossibility.

She cursed silently once more, and made a fifth attempt at trying to enjoy the film.

* * *

**Saturday, 17:28**

“So, did you enjoy the film?” Rosehip asked as they exited the theater.

“Yeah…” Elinor answered absentmindedly, “I guess so…”

“Well, that’s good to hear. I chose it specifically for your sake, so it would have been a shame if you hadn’t liked it,” she joked.

“Right…”

“So, do you want to walk around and talk for a bit, or shall we head out to get something to eat? I found a great place near here that you’re going to love. It’s right up your alley.”

“Rosehip…” Elinor said in a low voice and stopped in place, while Rosehip continued walking ahead of her.

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s my treat. I just want you to enjoy yourself and-”

“Rosehip,” Elinor repeated more forcefully, pausing to allow Rosehip to turn and face her where she had stopped.

“A-Assam-senpai? Is something the matter?”

“Rosehip, this isn’t working. You’re being awkward and stiff and clearly aren’t comfortable with this. It’s like you’re not even the same person, and I don’t want to push you through all of that.” She gave a small bow. “Thank you very much for the evening, but I’ll be going now. I can’t force you to be someone other than yourself. That wouldn’t be fair. Goodnight, Rosehip.”

“Y-yeah…” Rosehip answered, stunned. “You’re… you’re welcome, I guess…”

With that done, Elinor turned and began to walk away, leaving Rosehip behind and trying her best to purge her old kouhai from her mind. It would be for the best.

She kept on walking, refusing to turn and look back as she made her way past closing stores and the nightly inhabitants of the city coming out to find amusement for themselves.

“Assam-Senpai!” 

She could hear Rosehip call out behind her after a while, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop, or she might get sucked back into the struggle once more.

“Assam-Senpai!”

Elinor said a silent curse under her breath, and stopped. Only now did she realize that she had been walking with such speed and ferocity that she was almost short of breath. She hesitated for a moment as she caught her breath, but then she turned around.

Taking sprinting steps across the broad street to catch up was Rosehip, who also had to halt for a moment to catch her breath once she reached Elinor.

“You’re right, I wasn’t being myself,” she almost yelled with pleading eyes as she looked up at Elinor. Almost as if she was seeking forgiveness. I just… I just… I was being stupid…” she looked down once more with a hint of shame in her eyes and blushing spreading across her cheeks. “You said you hated when I rushed around, and was afraid I’d get hurt… And you said you wanted me to slow down for you…” Again she looked up, her cheeks fully red and tears in the corner of her eyes. “So that’s why I did it. I tried to be someone else...just so that you wouldn’t hate me... but I just ended up making a fool of myself. I should have just faced you as myself, rather than try to be like Charles, or whoever you wanted me to be, or anyone else. And I’m sorry...” She paused, hesitated, and took a step closer, taking hold of one of Elinor’s hands. “But this…” she said softly, almost whispering, “This is all me.”

The walls were breached. The Forlorn hope stormed the gap and broke through her defenses. Her forces tried to hold fast, but the battle was already lost. Even as the fighting continued through the streets and alleys of her mind, it was clear that the only option was surrender. Surrender and stand meekly by as the enemy set her defenses to the torch.

Her mind was a jumbled mess, her skin was ablaze, her legs felt like they would give in any moment, and her heart stopped beating. Or was it just beating so fast she couldn't perceive it? She couldn't tell.

The only thing she knew for certain was that all lines of communication between her mind and body had been severed. Her defenses had crumbled, her knights were defeated, her mind had fallen, and her body had descended into anarchy.

Suddenly, as swiftly and unexpectedly as it had happened, it was over. The kiss, which to Elinor appeared to go on for eternity, hadn’t even lasted a moment, their lips barely touching. Before Elinor had time to gather her thoughts and realize what had just happened, Rosehip had already turned and run away from her down the avenue. Elinor was left stunned and alone, barely able to think or stand, and not anywhere close to being able to call out for Rosehip to wait.

It took the better part of a minute for the earth to start spinning again and time to resume, and only then did Elinor realize she had been left all alone.

* * *

**Saturday, 17:47**

_ “But this, this is all me…” _

What the hell had she been thinking?

Emma cried as she ran through the streets of Yokohama. She was crying, and she was embarrassed, and she felt like an airheaded moron. How stupid could she be? What was she even thinking? Not only had she ruined things with Assam-senpai yet again, she had also somehow managed to say the most embarrassing and moronic thing anyone in existence had ever said. If Assam-senpai didn’t hate her before, she most definitely did now. Or at the very least she thought she was pathetic. How stupid and moronic and corny could she be?

“Oh, Hi Emma. How did it… go?”

Emma didn’t even notice Charles trying to talk to her as she barreled past him on the docks, running up the gangway to the  _ Ark Royal _ and through her many corridors, until she arrived at her dorm room and threw herself on the bed.

“I’m so stupid! Why the hell did I say something so stupid and corny?! Aaaaargh” she cried into her pillow and kicked her legs up and down in pure frustration and anger at her own actions. She had blown her last shot at getting Assam-senpai to like her, and now she would never want to see her again.

* * *

**Saturday, 19:08**

“What the hell is wrong with her?!” Elinor asked as she stared down at her martini. She was annoyed. “She can’t just go around and make jokes like that!”

Naomi just rolled her eyes and sighed at this, though still with what for her constituted a smile.

“What?!” Elinor snapped at her friend, who ignored her for a moment to finish her beer.

“She wasn’t joking,” Naomi answered dismissively, and ordered another beer from the bartender. 

“What do you mean?! Of course she was just kidding around.” She rested her chin on her wrist and pouted. “Stupid Rosehip, messing with me like that, making me all annoyed…” 

“How many points did you get on the entrance exam again?”

“What?”

“The entrance exam. What was your score?”

“What the heck does that have to do with anything?!”

“Nothing.” Naomi smirked. “Humor me.”

“I think I got 97 or 98 percent?”

“Right. So you’re pretty smart then, correct?” She paid for the fresh bottle just placed before her and nodded to the bartender. “Thanks.”

“I guess. I wouldn’t say I’m a genius or anything, but-ow!” Elinor was interrupted by her friend smacking her over the head. “What the hell was that for?!”

“Then how can you be so utterly idiotic at times?” Now Naomi was the one who sounded annoyed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“She gave you the signal, you moron. She clearly gave you the signal, so why the heck didn’t you answer her?”

“What do you mean ‘the signal’? She gave me nothing of the sort.”

“God, I swear it’s like talking to a kindergartener sometimes,” Naomi muttered under her breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. She took a sip of her beer and put it down on the coaster before her, then turned fully to face Elinor. “Ok, look;” She was speaking slowly and deliberately, as if she was talking to a child. “You clearly like this girl, right?”

“I don’t kno-”

“Yes you do. You like her. Or else you wouldn’t be constantly talking about her.” Elinor didn’t have time to protest further, Naomi was already moving on. “And we know,  _ for a fact _ , that she likes you. She blurted out as much when she got drunk last year at the cauldron.”

“I-I… I guess…”

“And now, when she tried her absolute damnedest to become someone she thinks you would like back, you have the gall to sit here and complain?!”

“No, but I just…”

“Not only that! That airhead,  _ somehow _ , managed to say a really great line, and then she kissed you,  _ and you’re still not happy!!! _ ”

“But she didn’t mean anything by it! She’s just trying to mess with me. Besides, She didn’t  _ really _ kiss me. Our lips barely touched.”

“Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that,” Naomi sighed.

“I’m serious! She just caused me more trouble by it. And besides, it’s not like her kissing me meant anything special. I would have reacted like that no matter who just kissed me out of the blue.”

“You’ve really deluded yourself into believing that, haven’t you?”

“I’m not deluding anyone! My reaction had nothing to do with Rosehip kissing me-mhwha?” Her protests were interrupted by Naomi leaning in and kissing her. Not like Rosehip had, with their lips barely touching. This one lasted at least a second or two before Naomi leaned back again as if nothing had happened. “Wha-wha-wha… What the hell?!”

“So?” Naomi asked, taking another sip of her beer and pretended she had done nothing close to what she had just done. “Were you right?”

“What do you mean ‘was I right’?! You can’t just kiss me out of the…”

“Were. You. Right?” Naomi gave her a glare. “You said it didn’t matter who kissed you, and that you would have felt the same either way, right?”

“But that’s not what I…”

“So? Did your heart skip a beat? Did your head turn to mush? Did your knees turn to jelly? Like they did when she kissed you?” She smirked. “Or are you just flustered?”

“I-I-I…” Elinor didn’t know what to say. “I mean… I am, but that’s just because you’re…”

“...not Rosehip. Exactly.” Naomi finished the sentence for her. “Like I said. God, for being so smart, you really are the thickest person I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes:  
> Well, after far too long of a wait, here is finally the second part of the season premiere of Tales from The Tea Garden. Apologies for the wait. But at least it arrives neatly in time for Valentine’s, fittingly enough.  
> With real life being as it is, and me writing another series weekly, I don’t know exactly when the next episode will be out, but I’ll definitely return to this story sooner or later.  
> Thanks for reading,  
> Rihno


End file.
